Do I really need to comment about this one?…

Article about Sex Huts to accomodate the corresponding increase in demand for prostitution and the coming World Cup in Germany.

Here’s a very interesting article on reuters.com this morning (Toyota Boss Fears Backlash if GM, Ford Fall) that will definitely get your gears churning. When the chairman of the second biggest automaker in the world suggests that his company raise prices, among other things, in an attempt to help out it’s largest competitor (who happens to be the largest automaker in the world), a few eyebrows are most certainly raised.

Is chairman Hiroshi Okuda a knight in shining armor for GM and Ford? Is he acting merely in the self-interest of preserving Toyota’s market share in the US? Why not let GM and Ford adjust to market conditions?

While Okuda’s comments, and actions if they are to follow, seem very admirable, it is hard to ignore the obvious perks for Toyota. Okuda cites as one of his primary concerns backlash if GM and Ford were to falter, sparking “nationalistic sentiment.” Certainly his statements would seem justified in the wake of steel tarrif and Chinese garment import regulations by the US and EU.

However chivalrous Okudua’s intentions may seem, is it in the best interest of the market for Toyota to artificially prop GM and Ford up? If the two US carmaker’s revenues and profits are sinking, perhaps there is a very good and justifiable reason. For instance, while Toyota’s highly successful Prius has been on the market for some time, neither GM or Ford have offered a comparable vehicle either in cost or performance. Clearly the market is demanding such products.

Kudos to mayors from around the world, who signed the “Urban Environmental Accords” yesterday in San Francisco. Containing 21 specific actions, all of which have promise in “making cities greener,” the accords are an important step forward in ensuring the health of our environment and sustainability of environmentally-focused cities.

Of particular note, as cited in a Seattle Times article is that, “by 2030, more than 60 percent of the world’s population will live in cities.” That is a staggering statistic, and even more so when compared to the 1950s figure: 30%.

The importance of clean air, water and open spaces is now greater than ever before. As 60% of us find ourselves crammed together in the world’s cities within 25 years, I for one, hope to be able to walk barefoot in the park, without an air-cleansing gas mask, confident that the most I have to worry about is stepping in dog excrement.

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If laws are a reflection of society’s morals, then are businesses a reflection of society’s consumption desires? And if so, if we the market thus define the laws and the services and products offered by companies, do we not also define whether or not we will tolerate the very things the Urban Environmental Accords aim to correct?

I say the people have power. The consumer has power. The business owner has power. The employee has power. We all have power… power to make the world a better place.

I came across an interesting article recently that gave an overview of the IRS’s “Dirty Dozen” tax scams for 2004. It was an incredibly interesting read and offered practical advice for ensuring that you don’t fall prey to any of the scams. All of the scams sounded sketchy but the Corporation Sole definitely took the cake…

A Corporation Sole is basically intended for legitimate religious institutions. However, as noted in the Dirty Dozen article, companies are schilling this entity to help individuals avoid paying income taxes and shelter their assets. In other words, “Hey man, give me $1000, call yourself a church, and never pay taxes again!!”

An excerpt from, IRS Warns of “Corporation Sole” Tax Scam:

The companies offering services to set up such organizations, as well as the savvy individuals that knowingly buy into this scheme (I’m sure there are a few that are genuinely scammed), will most certainly offer a whole host of canned defensive retorts. My favorite is always the claim that the government can’t claim that person X’s religion isn’t really a religion. Sheesh.

Am I bothered by the existence of this scheme? Perhaps only as far as it serves to degrade legitimate religious faiths. However, I wonder what type of a constitution one requires to knowingly use this tactic. In the end, I feel sorry for individuals that will stoop this low‚—it is truly remarkable.

If you have yet to see The Corporation, I highly recommend you do so as soon as possible. In fact, I’d recommend buying it so you can watch it once a month, or snippets with greater frequency.

The film is a documentary about corporations (subtle title…) and though I left feeling as if the filmmakers left little room for the possibility of good corporations (which I believe exist), I still think it is an outstanding film. It will challenge you to think, examine your life and purpose, and hopefully make some significant positive changes in the way you run or interact with businesses.

In addition to the documentary, there is a 2nd DVD with extended interviews and additional features.

• The Corporation from amazon.com

This simple, yet powerful concept, speaks very concisely to the responsibility of leadership and the power of strong ethics.

Thank you for joining us! So often, during the long journey through life, we stumble upon a path we’ve never seen or had previously simply ignored. Whether we choose to stray from our current course and take the unfamiliar and ‘road less travelled’ may prove a defining moment in our lives. Furthermore, the new direction may not prove any wiser than the path we left it for. Such unknowns make life challenging and sometimes frustrating, yet they also push us to think.

In business, the quest for profit and growth are often so intense that we may never see those other paths, let alone choose to take them. If shareholder value, money, profits, domination and marketshare are all that drive us, what are we building? What are we going to do with our fragile (yet grotesquely adorned and obscenely large) houses constructed out of such things, when we realize that substance, purpose and contributing to the greater good of society actually matter?

We’ll post articles, links, inspirational quotations, and anything else that moves us in an effort to create a positive dialog on how we can create and sustain social enterprises.

Thank you again for your interest, and we look forward to together making a positive impact in the world!

Our aim is to promote dialog about ethics in business to better understand how to create, run and grow ethical companies that have a greater purpose in this world. We will post and comment on relevant articles, provide inspirational quotations, and offer links to interesting sites for your consideration.