The Sunday Papers (sans funnies)

If you're like me, you've found that one of life's great pleasures is getting up on Sunday morning, going out the front door to retreive your Sunday paper, and subsequently reading it from front to back while sipping something no stronger than decaf. I've been doing it since I was in high school.

This time-honored weekly routine may be fading into history if you listen to the pundits. It's all television, iPods, Blackberries, tweeter twitting, texting and maybe tabloids for succeeding generations to come. What will happen to the adage, "never argue with a man who buys his ink by the barrel?" Will it become, "you can't win a fight with a guy who owns multiple networks." If that were true, who could possibly overcome the biasness of Ruppert Murdoch. So far, Obama and the Democrats have done just that, and will continue to do that until the Austrailian acquires MSNBC.

Maureen Dowd recently visited with Phil Bronstein, editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and wrote a wonderful editorial about the demise of printed news. He acknowledged that newspapers are on life support and that the only thing between the demise of print media and continued existence was the fact that Americans continue to live longer lives. In that way, those of us in or near our dottage stand between the delivery of the Sunday paper and its extinction. I am greatly relieved. It proves that I am not entirely worthless.

The Sunday editorials this morning are much about torture and the debate about whether we should let the Justice Department pursue those responsible. Frank Rich, of the New York Times observes that the recently released memos indicate that the reason for the policy approving "enhanced interrogation techniques" was less to prevent another 911 than to find some connection between Iraq and 911 so as to justify the war. Paul Krugman's essay this morning suggests that the argument of looking forward instead of back to bring the responsible to justice, is spurious and counters several arguements of those who espouse "moving on to more important work." Frankly, I wonder if we had elected McCain and the "third Bush term," had proven correct, would we now be seeing medals of freedom flying around the necks of those who promulgated torture. For my Christian readers, aren't revenge and forgiveness God's job, but justice here on earth our purview?

Finally, it's Derby week! I'm not referring to the hat style. I mean, of course, that wonderful event in Kentucky next Saturday, when up to 20 steeds try to go a mile and a quarter in around 2 minutes, thrilling and breaking millions of hearts and bank accounts before a live audience in the 100s of thousands and before millions of tv viewers around the world. It is the 135th running of this storied race. And, for the record, I have narrowed my choice down to 16 of the contestants. As the week wears on, I'll continue to whittle down my selections until the obvious apparent winner emerges somewhere in my frontal lobe...hopefully before post-time. I'll let you know.

Raising more nonprofit revenue in a dismal economy!

In this time of economic downturn, nonprofits are drawing in their fundraising efforts and "saving" money. They are also losing donors and failing to acquire new donors so as to be stronger on the other side of the crunch. Perhaps they should realize the good news is that they have less competition for gifts and grants while others cut back their development efforts and staffs. This may actually be the ideal time to expand your philanthropic initiatives.

On the other hand, with the advent of federal and state appropriated stimulus money, it might also be a good time to look at entrepreneurial opportunities to market nonprofit assets as a way of generating new earned income. If it creates jobs and increases economic activity it could be eligible for stimulus support. One of the more unusual things my company does is nonprofit business planning. You can look it up at shehaneconnection.com