I recently watched the Oprah show that featured thrifty guests who were creating money-saving alternatives to the failing economy.  Beyond coupon cutting and edible gifts, the most interesting, I found, were those who developed a barter system between friends and businesses.  The exchanges ranged from relatively small to large.  Two friends exchange couches, rather than spending money on new ones for their living room; one family trades their home with another family; one woman offers to teach aerobic classes in exchange for a free gym membership, one dance studio owner accepts restaurant dinners from a student rather than monthly payments.  I never would have before thought of alternative forms of payments to businesses.  But I am, no doubt, excited to learn that more and more people and businesses are helping themselves and others through financial challenges.

I wonder how far and how long this barter system could extend.

What are you doing to save money during this financial crisis?

Read the full article and learn more money-saving tips from the show.

A common mistake in the upcoming election, according to some Latinos, is that politicians typically cast Latinos, as voters, into specific demographic groups, with certain beliefs, concerns, and subjects related to them.  However, as this video and article, from the Austin American-Statesman, illustrate, not every Latino fits into a specific voter bloc.  Latinos, according to age, upbringing, and other factors are holding a variety of stances across the political spectrum.

What is your definition of the Latino voter??

Watch the full video

Read the related article

In a weak attempt to strengthen immigration laws, domestic security leaves some feeling that the U.S is more bureaucratic than ever.

"Capital" or "stock" injection is an alternative, direct investment option now being considered for the rescue of the United States economy. NPR's Chris Arnold has cleverly termed it "the Backdoor Bailout plan." On Sunday, NPR reported that at the last minute, an unknown individual or individuals slipped vague language into the bailout legislation which left open the possibility of a stock injection plan resembling the one that Britain opted for yesterday.

Tune in to Texas Public Radio, KSTX 89.1 FM, on Friday, October 10, at noon, for a live debate over whether or not terms of office should be extended for San Antonio city council and mayoral positions. City of San Antonio Mayor, Phil Hardberger will be arguing in favor of term limit extensions against Bob Martin, president of the Homeowners Taxpayers Assn. of Bexar County.  Terry Gildea, KSTX “All Things Considered” host, will act as moderator of the program.

St. Mary’s University students will be proud to hear their very own Dr. Henry Flores, Professor of Political Science, will be joining the panel along with San Antonio Express News columnist, Jaime Castillo.

You can participate in the debate by submitting your questions and comments to termlimits@tpr.org.

Listen live, or tune in later in the evening at 7 PM for the re-broadcast.

On Wednesday, Horace Engdahl, the permanent secretary of the Nobel prize jury, told the Associated Press, "You can't get away from the fact that Europe still is the centre of the literary world ... not the United States." He argued that "the US is too isolated, too insular. They don't translate enough and don't really participate in the big dialogue of literature ...That ignorance is restraining."

PBS will be airing Latinos ’08, a documentary illustrating the growing political power of Latinos in the United States, tomorrow night, Wednesday, October 8, at 9 PM ET. 

According to Phillip Rodriguez, the award winning Los Angeles filmmaker, his documentary explores the increasing presence of Latinos on the American political scene through the wider lens of ethnic politics across U.S. history.  Henry Cisneros, former mayor of San Antonio and Clinton Administration cabinet member adds, “This is just the latest chapter of the American immigrant assimilation story.”

Along with Cisneros, several increasingly influential Latino political scholars, commentators, and leaders will be featured.  Check your local listings to tune in.
 

Introduce your friends to Student Voices by inviting them to join the new Facebook Group, Student Voices by MATT, for updates on news articles, blog posts, and videos. Encourage your friends to participate in the discussion of real world issues and use their voice to promote change. 

MySpace users can look forward to a new Student Voices MySpace group within the next couple of weeks.

VotoLatino, a group dedicated to empowering the community by promoting positive change, San Antonio radio station, 98.5 FM "The Beat," and Planeta Mexico Club are looking for volunteers to help register an estimated 1,000 potential voters, this Saturday, October 4, 2008 at Planeta Mexico Club, located at 3830 Parkdale St, in San Antonio, from 9 PM to midnight.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Steve Franco, with VotoLatino, at stevefranco@votolatino.com, for more details.  All volunteers must be deputized, a simple process conducted at your local elections office.

Remember, October 6 is the last day to register for the upcoming election, so stop by on Saturday, register to vote, and get the chance to win some great prizes.

Why this is happening, how it happened, where we are now, what we can do, and what this means for all of us.