Crowdfunding is not for "donations" to "Foundations". Crowdfunding serves people's dreams, their needs, emergencies. It's an investment

I don't like the words "donate" and "Foundation". I prefer "invest" and "community", "center" or even "nucleus" :)

Every million-air, at a certain point in his life, feels the motivation to create a Foundation. O.K. What I don't understand is the part where he asks you to "donate" to his Foundation. Or worse, when he accepts government funding.

Crowdfunding is not for this purpose, I think. 
Crowdfunding serves people's dreams, their needs, emergencies. It's an investment, not a donation.

What's the big difference?

When you donate, there's no money tracking. You can't evaluate your contribution.

When you invest, you have a report of every cent spent, and you know what is the measure of your contribution. It implies transparency and fairness. You feel part that you are part of it. You are important to the project. You helped someone. You made a difference in someone's life. You made an investment in life itself. There's energy here, there's movement, there are real people.

And with luck, there are projects that are capable of you giving you more than what you invested, in money, energy, solidarity, friendship. You are part of a community.

"You can do everything you want"

Do politicians care about young people and their possibilities? This is an important question.

This week I bring the best Rob Reiner, Stand by me. I'd brought this film before to celebrate friendship. This time it's about the dreams of young people.

"You can do everything you want" may be truth for some of them but no not for all of them. 

In this american presidential campaign young people supported Bernie Sanders. Why is that? 

"You're gonna make a wonderful grown up"

There are many ways of raising a child. This mother believes in planning. There's nothing wrong with that. However children need more than a plan. They need to travel far, to fly, adventures, friends.

Do you know many "wonderful grown ups"? ... I thought so. They are few, aren't they?

How small we are and how beautifully connected to one another

"Grand Canyon" reminds us how small we are and how beautifully connected to one another. Lawrence Kasdan, the director who loves people and words. I'm forgetting the dogs, but they don't appear in this particular movie.

A man gets lost on the streets of LA and is rescued by another man. His gratitude leads him to get involved in this man's life. They become friends. 

A man protects his sister and nephews who are living in a dangerous neighborhood. 

A woman feels responsible for an abandoned baby that she finds by miracle.
A famous director awakens philosophically after surviving a gunshot but soon after returns to its previous mindset. 

Living in a materialistic world

Another week another movie. This time is a Wyler, a film made with love and hope.
The film starts with three soldiers returning home. They'll try to adapt to a new materialistic world keeping intact their values. Family, friends, community. People who help each other.  

American cinema shaped our culture

Cinema is the art form of the twentieth century, but also a cultural medium. Generations have grown up with films and spent hours inside dark movie theaters. 

Why is it important to recall these magic moments of innovation, the way of telling stories and spreading ideas? 
The answer is right in front of us: our culture, I'm referring to western culture, is giving in to trash culture. Sorry, but it's true.
The Trump speeches, for instance, what are they... but trash? The american people should tremble only by this fact: Trump is running for president of the United States. I'm trembling and I'm not american. Well, somehow I'm american too, I grew up with american movies and I breathed their culture, their ideas, their ideals.

So, I'll choose a movie each week until November. The first one is a Preminger, The Man with the Golden Arm.  

To celebrate friendship

Stand by me shows us how friendship is important to deal with the challenges of growing up. Four boys in their last summer together. Each one will soon become a flashback of sunny days in the others' lives.
This is a lucky movie with no dull scenes. I've chosen 3. Scenes 1 and 2 - to celebrate friendship. Scene 3 - to meditate: adult life seems to narrow the dreams of these young boys, except for one of them, who exceeded his possibilities.