According to Drudge, the Clintons paid over $33 million dollars in federal taxes on $109 million in income  for the tax years 2000 to 2007. They also gave over $10 million to charity. The sad part is, that’s really not even that impressive by today’s standards. And it’s really not any different from Republican candidate John McCain, except in McCain’s case, the money is pretty much all his wife’s:

As heiress to her father’s stake in Hensley & Co. of Phoenix, Cindy McCain is an executive whose worth may exceed $100 million. Her beer earnings have afforded the GOP presidential nominee a wealthy lifestyle with a private jet and vacation homes at his disposal, and her connections helped him start his political career - even if the millions remain in her name alone. Yet the arm’s-length distance between McCain and his wife’s assets also has helped shield him from conflict-of-interest problems.

Must be nice.

Thirty-four shows in two months, and a thousand pounds of eyeliner and lip gloss; the seventh annual Sub City Take Action! tour recently came to its conclusion on 3/23. More than just an excuse to air out the vinyl vest and work on your best pout, the tour’s main goal is tour bring music fans together, teach them about the necessary and positive outcome of donating your time to good causes, and to help make a better world by introducing concepts of community activism. And, you know, TO EFFING RAWK.

Here are some pretty rad stats about the 2008 tour:

The Impact of the 2008 Take Action! Tour:
-Over $75,000 raised for Do Something which helps young people make a positive difference in the world - based on 10% of ticket revenue and additional tour related fund raising.
-Over 27,000 fans in 34 cities proved that the world can be made a better place one voice at a time
-Nearly 7,000 copies of the Take Action Volume 7 Compilation already sold
-Take Action Grants, empowered by the Hot Topic Foundation, MySpace Impact and Hopeless/Sub City Records, were awarded to 9 amazing young people who want to make change in their communities.

As we’ve discovered, the tour’s headliner Every Time I Die certainly bring the rock music, but I didnt’ know they actually care as well. Awwww…… Along with From First To Last, The Bled, August Burns Red, and The Human Abstract, the tour was by all accounts a rousing success. Cheers to Louis Posen and company, here’s to building positive change, a pair of ears at a time.

For more info:
www.subcity.net
www.takeactiontour.com
www.hopelessrecords.com/

Tis the season…well, almost. As usual, we can expect to be inundated with entertainment industry professionals looking to pretty up their tax forms with some end-of-the-year charity work, but at least it’s all for a good cause, right? Hard Rock is getting a jump on the impending holiday season with their Serve2 compilation, available for download on iTunes. The net proceeds of which will go to Artists Against Hunger and Poverty, an artist-directed special program of World Hunger Year.

Not only is it for a good cause, but the compilation is pretty solid (and at 25 tracks, pretty damn hefty), featuring previously unreleased and live cuts from old school heavyweights like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, but also newer and more vital acts like The Hold Steady. Even New Found Glory and Andrew W.K. managed to sneak on there. You can sample a live rendition of “Baby It’s a Fact” by Hellogoodbye (available on Serve2) here mp3 (or download it at Synthesis.net). Full track listing after the jump.

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One World Cafe is a restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah where you can pick your own portions, eat organic food, and pay whatever you want for it. Owner Denise Cerreta is to thank.

“By encouraging people to savor the meal, Ms. Cerreta is attempting to help people see the value of food as more than a mere consumable but rather, as a glue and a catalyst for healthy people, relationships and communities. Customers are able to seat themselves in a relaxed atmosphere that is condusive to conversation; opposite to the usual public dining experience of isolation. Because our customers choose their own prices, their portions tend to be more mindful and reflect that they will actually want to eat, with the result being little or no food waste. We’ve realized that this makes more food available and we expect this will make the concept exportable and adoptable worldwide.

Philosophy meets business through her desire to pay her workers a living wage, as well provide volunteer options for those who would prefer a “hand up” rather than a hand out. For every hour someone gives to our foundation, they can receive a voucher for a full meal, and children under 8 can eat with a parent on the same vouncher. Plus, there is always a complimentary staple dish that everyone can eat regardless of means. Denise and the staff knew the model was successful on the day that there were several people eating, all of whom had volunteered earlier in the week and had redeemed their vouchers. But all were eating anonymously and with dignity.”

She started the One World Everybody Eats Foundation that is committed to putting a community kitchen in every city. There’s a “Spirit in Business - Guide for Starting a Community Kitchen” available for download at her website. It serves as a How-To guide as well as a testimony for other businesses to become more sustainable and redefine what profit means without sacrificing it. Another couple in Denver, Colorado has opened SAME: So All May Eat. Spread the word and love: One World Everybody Eats YouTube.