I've spent a lot of energy during the past 5 years studying non-profit management. One of the great names in the field is Jerold Panas - and he does not dissapoint with this great article from Contributions magazine.

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Go on to the Next...

When a board candidate resists giving, or asking, cast a wider net

What prompted Allen’s comment was when I asked him what his reaction would be if he spoke to a person about serving on a board and the man or woman said: “I’ll join the board, but you can’t count on me for a gift and I won’t call on anyone.”

“Allen,” I asked, “what would you do?”

“I’d go on to the next one. I wouldn’t consider adding someone to one of the boards I serve on who isn’t interested enough to make a gift or willing to call on others for a donation. I don’t care how well known he is in the community or what his name might mean to the organization. It would be obvious he doesn’t bring the kind of commitment that is necessary. I’d pass him by and go on to the next one.

“Give, get, or get off. I really practice that. If you don’t get someone who is willing to work and give, you are settling for less than the best. And I don’t think any institution can afford that these days.”

Allen is right. An organization cannot afford to have board members who aren’t pulling their weight. That’s because, more than ever before, organizations face an insatiable appetite for funds. It won’t get better. But having the right board can make the difference.

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Eight Irrefutable Principles

Here are eight axioms which influence the character and practice of the nonprofit board: Read more »

You know the one, down from the bus station, in the building that used to be the post house tavern for so many years - pho moved in after the viet-thai place left.

So far we've enjoyed pretty much everything we have gotten there. Lots of vegetables in the dishes, a really nice subtle flavor in their supposedly special fish sauce, great fried ice cream.

Typically places like these go downhill after a while, if they lose their chefs, but so far so good.

Worth a read... The electoral math looks grim for romney - but - he does have the money, and the billionaires who bought him have tons more, more then ever spent before, and since the supreme court legalized the buying of elections, who knows what can happen now. We are in new territory sans maps and clues.

1.  Between now and Election Day come two jobs reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics – October 5 and November 2. If they’re as bad as the last report, showing only 96,000 jobs added in August (125,000 are needed just to keep up with population growth) and the lowest percentage of employed adults since 1981, Romney’s claim the economy is off track becomes more credible, and Obama’s that it’s on the mend harder to defend.

With gas prices rising, corporate profits shrinking, most of Europe in recession, Japan still a basket case, and the Chinese economy slowing, the upcoming job reports are unlikely to be stellar.

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/11706-robert-reich-four-reasons-why-romney-might-still-win

2. Also between now and Election Day are three presidential debates

3. During the next 7 final weeks of the campaign, the anti-Obama forces will be spending a gigantic amount of money. 

4. As they’ve displayed before, the Republican Party will do whatever it can to win — even if it means disenfranchising certain voters.

Hmmmm - some of this seems clearly true - so - have we abandoned the Sauds?

All-out Middle East war as good as it gets

Absent an Israeli strike, America faces:

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