Business, Finance, Economy

Human Trafficking Movie Grabs Hearts.  Annika, a delicate young girl, has been unwittingly handed into virtual slavery by her homeless father.  Sweatshop labor and sex-for-sale portend a bleak future, unless someone intervenes.  Caden, a spoiled, rich, 20-year-old Southern California student, determines to be that someone.  Their inspiring saga in the feature film Not Today might grab your heart, too.  (Short op-ed)

Who Said That?  “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”  “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  “Money is the root of all evil.”  “God helps those who help themselves.”  Who made these statements?  Learning who actually said them – and, in some cases, what they really said and meant – might surprise you.  (Short op-ed)

Forgiving Bernie Madoff?  Could you forgive the multibillion dollar swindler if you were one of his victims?  (Short op-ed)

Coping with Job Loss.  I got an email recently from another laid-off colleague.  One more recession downsizing casualty.  I’ve been there, too.  How do you help a friend – or yourself – cope with losing their job?  (Short op-ed)

Needed: Ethical Bailout.  Interwoven among news of economic turmoil and government rescues in the banking, investment, insurance and automobile industries are some wild tales of greed, deception, and bad choices.  Companies look to government for financial bailouts.  Where do we look for an ethical bailout?  (Short op-ed)

Home Foreclosure’s Emotional Toll.  Has someone you know lost their home to foreclosure or struggled near the brink?  Have you?  The psychological effects can be devastating.  How to cope?  (Short op-ed)

Optimism Takes a Beating in Tough Times.  When the Optimist Club gets pessimistic, you know times are tough.  War, soaring gas and food prices, a volatile housing market, economic uncertainty and more can create pervasive pessimism.  Is there any cause for hope out there?  (Short op-ed)

Global Food Crisis Hits Home. Some Westerners might react with detached shock to stories of food riots in places like Haiti, India, and Cameroon.  But when your local Costco and Sam’s Club start limiting rice purchases, reality creeps in.  What should you do?  (Short op-ed)

Got Money Woes?  Consider Zimbabwe.  Wall Street turmoil, bank failures, home foreclosures, a clogged financial system.  Economic gloom got you down?  Consider Zimbabwe’s 40 million percent inflation.  Some perspective, plus resources for troubling times.  (Short op-ed)

‘The Mulligan’ movie: Need a second chance?  Ever wish life granted second chances?  What would you do with them?  The Mulligan movie uses the game of golf to get you to ponder possibilities.  (Short op-ed)