MS Maze

Then: I opened a new bank account, small though it was. They smiled and thanked me as though I just deposited a million dollars, then handed me a colorful set of coffee mugs to thank me for my business. I looked forward to coming in each week, speaking with the friendly tellers, and watching the interest grow.

Now: I bank without ever seeing a human. Interest? It’s almost a joke. Instead, there are all kinds of fees to worry about. “Convenience” fees they call them. It’s a relatively new phenomenon in which customers fork over money for the convenience of forking over money. It’s not just the banks, but a wide variety of services that are employing these tactics.

Read it: Customers Sure Are Inconvenient

The morning of September 11, 2001 is forever seared into our nation’s collective consciousness. Horrific loss of life, massive destruction of landmarks, and infiltration of our air travel system rocked our very foundation, shattering any sense of security we may have had.

We’ve had a lot of healing to do, both as individuals, and as a nation. I asked several experts in human psychology how they think we have healed … or not healed in the past 10 years.

Read it: Ten Years Later: How 9/11 Changed Our Nation

Our pets are getting fatter. More than half of dogs and cats in the U.S. are overweight or obese – that’s an estimated 93 million dogs and cats, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention’s most recent pet study.

Read my interview with the Association’s founder and president, Dr. Ernie Ward, who shares his opinions and insights on how to properly care for our beloved four-legged friends.

Read it: The Super-Sizing of America’s Pets: How to Conquer Pet Obesity Naturally

Image courtesy of Dr. Ernie Ward, author of “Chow Hounds: Why Our Dogs Are Getting Fatter – A Vet’s Plan to Save Their Lives”

As folks who invest in stocks and bonds know, the years between 1988 and early 2008 were pretty good in terms of investment return, averaging around 12% per annum. Others will be quick to point out that the years right before and after that weren’t quite so good. That’s the beauty of the markets—they work hard to prove the adage that what goes up must eventually come down, and visa-versa. (…MORE)

Fresh Air Fund NYC Half-Marathon
Ready to be a part of one of the world’s best road races? Join The Fresh Air Fund-Racers on March 20th, 2011! The amazing 13.1-mile course takes you through beautiful Central Park, action-packed Times Square and ends with breathtaking finish-line views of the New York City harbor. More than 11,000 runners, of all ages and abilities, finished the NYC Half-Marathon last year, and we are so proud of our very own 2010 Fresh Air Fund-Racers who ran and raised $100,000 for us!

We are calling all runners and Fresh Air Fund supporters to come out and either challenge themselves to run the race or join our cheering squad. The Fresh Air Fund provides runners with guaranteed entry in exchange for fundraising before race day. Entries are limited — please get in touch soon! Please email kbrinkerhoff@freshair.org or call (212) 897-8890. Or click here to learn more about how to fundraise for the race!

Over the past four years as a NY Road Runners charity partner for the NYC Half-Marathon, our 335 Fund-Racers have raised close to $400,000 for The Fresh Air Fund!

Fresh Air Fund Host Families
“It is rewarding to see the smile on our Fresh Air child’s face as she enjoys the simple things we take for granted…”

Friendly Town host families are volunteers who live in the suburbs or small town communities. Host families range in size and background, but share the desire to open their hearts and homes to give city children an experience they will never forget. Hosts say the Fresh Air experience is as enriching for their own families, as it is for the inner-city children. There are no financial requirements for hosting a child. Volunteers may request the age-group and gender of the Fresh Air youngster they would like to host. Stories about real Fresh Air host families and their New York City visitors are just a click away!

Click here to learn more about becoming a host or call (800) 367-0003!

THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. In 2010, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. The Fund’s year-round camping program serves an additional 2,000 young people each year.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent his life working tirelessly toward a dream of equality and opportunity for all. He challenged us to help build a more perfect union and live up to the purpose and potential of America. Most importantly, he recognized the power of the individual to make a difference.

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 17, 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day’s designation as a federal holiday, a time for neighborhoods and communities to come together to honor, celebrate, and further the dream of a supremely inspirational human being.

Learn about the MLK Day of Service and more:

Read: Honoring and Furthering The Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Betsy G. Reyneau, National Archives and Records Administration

The busiest shopping season of the year is upon us and consumers are being more careful than ever in how they spend their hard-earned dollars. More of us are also beginning to hold companies accountable for taking climate action seriously.

Business relies heavily on the holiday season as the largest revenue stream and if we show big business — with our purchasing power — that corporate climate action matters, they will pay attention. Let’s tell them directly that we want to see them “striding.”

Read the article:

Fight Climate Change With Holiday Shopping

Image courtesy ClimateCounts.org

Natural Choice Directory, also known as The Healthy Pages, is a collection of businesses and resources that promote an environment-friendly, health and spiritually conscious lifestyle.

My first blog post there is a nod to our animal companions. October is a big month for animals and rescuing a shelter pet just might prove to be one of the most positive, life-changing decisions you’ve ever made.

Read the article and share your pet adoption stories:

Rescue a Shelter Pet and Get Rescued in Return

Photo: copyright PhotoXpress.com

submitted by our friends at The Fresh Air Fund

Congratulations to our 2010 Fresh Air Fund-Racers who ran in the NYC Half-Marathon and raised $100,000 for Fund programs! On March 21st, the Fresh Air Fund-Racers joined 15,000 other runners and thousands of fans on the 13.1-mile course through the streets of Manhattan. Thank you to our dedicated Fund-Racers who worked incredibly hard to both train and fundraise for The Fresh Air Fund. The race wouldn’t have been the same without their smiling faces on the course!

We are recruiting for the 2010 ING NYC Marathon on November 7, 2010! If you’d like to be a part of this amazing race in any way, we’d love to have you. Please email kbrinkerhoff@freshair.org or call (212) 897-8890.

Over the past four years as a NY Road Runners charity partner for the NYC Half-Marathon, our 325 Fund-Racers have raised close to $400,000 for The Fresh Air Fund!

Since 1877, The Fresh Air Fund, a not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer experiences in the country to more than 1.7 million New York City children from disadvantaged communities. Each year, thousands of children visit volunteer host families in 13 states and Canada through the Friendly Town Program or attend Fresh Air Fund camps.

For more information, please visit www.freshair.org

Do you support corporate responsibility for climate? If you’re still working on your back-to-school shopping list, you can plan that shopping with climate change in mind.

Before you spend another dime, there are a few things you should know. The back-to-school shopping season is second only to the holiday shopping season in generating revenue. In 2008 the top 100 brands spent over $100 billion dollars on advertising in the United States. All that requires energy, packaging, and transportation — all contributing factors in climate change.

Back-to-Cool: Shopping with Climate Change in Mind

photo: climatecounts.org

FarmVille players, hang on to your green hats because FarmVille is about to go organic.

If you are not familiar with the game, FarmVille is a real-time farm simulation game in which players plant, grow, and harvest crops on expanding farms while interacting with other players they “friend” as neighbors. Millions of players are enjoying the experience of virtual farm life, tending their farms and learning as they go.

Cascadian Farm, a leading brand of organic foods, is partnering with FarmVille to increase awareness and support for organic farming and organic lifestyle, breathing virtual life into organic farming within the online agricultural space.

Read this post and get FarmVille player tips:

FarmVille Goes Organic

By Jim Pietrangelo

What would make you mad enough to pick up and throw a metal patio table at a woman? Acceptable answers might be:

• ‘She was threatening me with a gun.’

• ‘I caught her trying to abduct my child.’

• perhaps even ‘She was a zombie and was trying to eat me.’

One answer not making the list: ‘She was a census worker and wanted to talk with me.’

Read this post in its entirety:

Census Worker Violence: Going Census is the New Going Postal

Photo Credit: 2010 Census

Remember the joy of being a child and the simple pleasure of rolling around in the grass, discovering flowers, and climbing trees?

A child growing up in the big city might not, but you can help a city child experience the power and the beauty of nature this summer… and it will only take a moment of your time…

Read this post in its entirety:

Help a City Child Experience Nature

Photo: photoxpress.com

A streak of vanity? Guilty as charged. Foolishly attempting to live up to the narrow standard of beauty set by our culture? Not on your life. Not when I was 20 years old, and certainly not now that I am 50.

Do you ever get the feeling that somewhere out there is a mold of what a woman should look like… and that what you see in the mirror bears no resemblance to that mold? However our standards of beauty have come together, I’m not falling for it.

Read this post in its entirety:

Are you worshiping at the altar of physical beauty?

Photo: copyright PhotoXpress.com

“Our intention was to give you lots of granular controls; but that may not have been what many of you wanted. We just missed the mark.” — Mark Zuckerberg

Internet privacy in general is of great concern, but Facebook is definitely in the hot seat. The latest wave of protest comes following the instant personalization pilot program that “helps you connect more easily with your friends on select partner sites. These sites personalize your experience using your public Facebook information.”

Lots of people love the feature — the problem stems from the fact that users are opted-in by default and must choose to opt-out.

Facebook has many privacy options and, for the most part, they work well. Unfortunately, the number of options has grown to an almost unmanageable amount. Users are often unaware or just plain confused about what they are sharing.

Read: Zuckerberg Admits Facebook Missed the Mark on Privacy

Photo: Facebook.com