A recent article in USA Today regarding the spending habits of African Americans has been causing both controversy and alarm.  Appearing on numerous message boards such as the hip-hop directory, and circulating through personal emails, it's clear that the issue of reckless spending in the African American community is a hot topic.  The following is an excerpt from USA Today writer Yolanda Young's article "Tough Choices for Tough Times”:

“These are tough economic times, especially for African-Americans, for whom the unemployment rate is more than 10%. Alarmingly, rather than belt-tightening, the response has been to spend more. In many poor neighborhoods, one is likely to notice satellite dishes and expensive new cars.” More...

As many residents know, San Antonio is a wild place!  It's just natural that  outside of our city limits is a facility that takes care of our wildest citizens.

The Animal Sanctuary of the United States is a non-profit organization that cares for a variety of unwanted, abused or neglected animals. The sanctuary, located on 112 acres just outside of San Antonio, provides lifetime care and housing to hundreds of displaced animals, including: big cats, bears, wolves, birds, and hoof stock.

Many of the animals that arrive at the sanctuary have been displaced by the exotic pet trade, roadside zoos and breeding facilities. In order to discourage exotic pet trade and abuse, the ASUS provides educational programs that teach kids that wild animals do not make good pets.

The sanctuary depends solely on private donations. To donate, call: 210-688-9038 or visit:  http://www.animalsanctuaryus.org/

The Federal Reserve survey reported on Thursday that between 2001 and 2004, the median inflation-adjusted income in the US rose by 1.6 per cent before taxes, compared with 9.5 per cent growth in the three years to 2001. What does this really mean? Well in the past few years the rate of inflation has grown faster than the median family net worth has. "The measured gains in wealth in the 2001-04 period pale in comparison with the much larger increase in the preceding three years,” said the Federal Reserve.  In fact the only people who have seen an increase over the past few years are the people who were already higher up in the income distribution! The good news in the report was that minority homeownership has gone up, yet as a whole, their income is still 60 per cent less than whites. Overall, doesn't it seem odd that if inflation is rising beyond the average pay rate, something"s not right?  

What would happen if every human vanished from Earth? It's an idea sustainability journalist Alan Weisman will explore in a lecture at St. Mary"s University on Jan. 27. According to Weisman’s book The World Without Us, in New York City, the subway system would flood after a couple of days. Over the years, roads would turn into rivers and structures would crumble. In the end, Mother Nature will have reclaimed her concrete jungle. Weisman’s study also explored the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the remaining portion of the primeval European forest, Colorado wildlife reserves, Turkish ruins, Chernobyl, coral reef off the coast of Micronesia, and sites in Africa, the Amazon, the Arctic and Mayan Guatemala. Through scientific reporting, Weisman aims to demonstrate humanity's true impact on the environment, in the end asking what humans can realistically do to live in balance with nature. Some of the experts Weisman consulted included paleontologists, structural engineers, biologists, art conservators, diamond miners, marine biologists, astrophysicists, and Buddhist monks.

The lecture, as part of the university’s Lin Speakers Series, starts at 7 p.m. at the University Center, Conference Room A. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Candace Kuebker, Academic Affairs Vice President, at ckuebker@stmarytx.edu. The World Without Us was named Best Book of 2007 by Time magazine. SS