The Handshake Hear 'round the World
Seriously, I doubt any handshake in history has gone through as much scrutiny and criticism as the handshake between President Obama and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez the other day at the Summit of the Americas.
Personally, after watching a few days of Obama handling things in Mexico and at the Summit, I can say I love the humility and attitude he takes to the table with our neighbors in this hemisphere. Shaking hands with Chavez and showing polite courtesy only follows his already defined personality in dealing with other world leaders.
Now, don't get me wrong... Chavez is a dipshit and proves it every chance he gets. I don't buy gasoline or anything from Citgo stations (even though they are routinely $.04 or so cheaper than anyone else!!!) just because of the Chavez link.
But... that is ME... and I am not the President of the United States. Obama is showing that he is above the petty squabbles of the past (perceived or real) and is willing to open the doors of diplomacy to even our most fervent critics. Does the fact that someone disagrees with us vehemently make us right or them wrong? Worst case scenario in my mind is that we don't reach any sort of accord and the relationship stays chilly.
But at least extending the hand of cooperation and showing the willingness to sit down and talk about our issues is a HUGE step that our past administrations would never have done and to me is a huge step forward.
UN Conference on Racism
Is it any surprise that the Iranian President (or whatever he is called) Kharzai started mouthing off about Israel on the first day of this conference? I for one was not surprised. Why is everyone else all up in arms about it? Kharzai speaking at a global conference? What the hell else is he going to talk about?
The bottom line is two wrongs don't make a right. You can't say that Palestinians are racist and kill indiscriminately and then think the Israeli's are just defending themselves. They are just terrorizing in a different way... One uses a lone bomber on a bus, the other uses a $25 million dollar rocket that "misses" it's target. Or maybe the target was surrounded by 30 women and children each time...
Explain to me the difference... I promise I will listen.
But since the US does not have a delegation there, I am not sure what we can hope is accomplished by the rest of the world at this conference. The UK has a group there monitoring the activities, but they were one of the groups that walked out when Kharzai went on his babble-fest. Why not just listen, then respond... if you don't like the way a two-way conversation is going you can always shut up and THEN walk out.
Job Search Woes
Well, the job search process really sucks... with double digit unemployment in the Tampa area, there are way too many candidates for each job that is posted... and the job postings have slowed down considerably. I am lucky if I find one job per day to send a resume to. You see the same positions listed, day after day, and no one is calling. You can only assume you are resume #4,372 in the stack and they will only look at the first 100.
Answer me this... you have a job to fill... you have two candidates... one has more experience than the other...
All things being equal (they will both work for the same salary, benefits, etc...) who would you hire?
If you said you would take the guy with less experience... kick yourself and explain why.
I feel that once you hit that decade of experience mark, regardless of how much you "dumb down" the resume, people assume that you want too much money, or will keep looking, or whatever...
How about this for an idea... pick up the phone, and call them both. THEN make your decision... what is the harm of a 5 minute phone conversation?
Too often though, American companies can't see past the next 12 months and will take the "immediate fix" with no thought towards where this person can help them go beyond 12 months. Can they handle it if your company suddenly grew by 100%? Can they handle it if your Sr. Level guy decided to pursue a different position and left?
Point is, take the experience and never look back.
All I'm gonna say 'bout that...
NFL Draft
YAY! NFL Draft this weekend! The Bears don't pick until the second round so I will only kinda be watching on Day One. I will probably have it rolling on the screen on Sunday though, that's for sure.
The sad thing is, due to the job situation and a lack of a first round pick for my Bears, this year will end a string of I think 7 Years watching the draft with my buddy Dave at Hooter's in Tampa. well, that and the fact that the draft starts later this year.
Used to be, we'd get to Hooters at 11am, start throwing them back, and by the time Day 1 was over we'd be at least four and a half sheets to the wind and have to find a way to get home.
Now, not so much... I'll probably hit the pool until around the time I think the Bears will pick, run in and check it out and then back for some more sun & fun. ;)
Here's to the memories!
Peace out...
Heitz
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
US Boycotting Racism Conference
Happy Sunday morning to everyone!
Sometimes you just have to scratch your head, I guess...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/18/U.S.racism.conference/index.html
The Obama administration has decided to boycott the UN Racism Conference that will be held in Geneva next week due to the wording in some of the documents that paints Israel in a negative light apparently and some other wording relating to "incitement".
Considering the fact that we just elected our first African-American President, and the strides we have made in the past 150 years to combat racism and its evils here in the US, I think this is a huge mistake to not have a delegation in attendance.
Are we too supportive of Israel and their quest to secure their homeland? I think if you look at the history of the conflict between the Israeli's and the Palestinian's (and other groups in that region; Egypt, Syria, etc...) you will see that Israel is the aggressor as often as they are the victim. Does it make sense to back them so vehemently to the point where we will boycott an international forum dealing with racism?
I think not...
As for the section on "incitement", I haven't read the information but it is being reported that it contradicts the US' stance on Free Speech. Obviously it's an issue if a journalist makes claims against a local government and is slammed in a jail for it... but again, is the best course of action NOT showing up for the conference?
Or rather, does it make more sense to send a group there to voice our concerns and work towards resolving them with the rest of the world? The Congressional Black Caucus seems to think so and I think I am in agreement with them.
Put it this way, if we don't show up do we have any right to complain about anything that comes out of the conference? I think it's a little egotistic to think that our opinion counts if we won't actively participate.
At any rate, I'd love to see us come to our senses and get a delegation there. Since that probably won't happen, I can't wait to see the end result of this conference and our response to what comes out of it.
Waiting with baited breath...
Peace out...
Heitz
Sometimes you just have to scratch your head, I guess...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/18/U.S.racism.conference/index.html
The Obama administration has decided to boycott the UN Racism Conference that will be held in Geneva next week due to the wording in some of the documents that paints Israel in a negative light apparently and some other wording relating to "incitement".
Considering the fact that we just elected our first African-American President, and the strides we have made in the past 150 years to combat racism and its evils here in the US, I think this is a huge mistake to not have a delegation in attendance.
Are we too supportive of Israel and their quest to secure their homeland? I think if you look at the history of the conflict between the Israeli's and the Palestinian's (and other groups in that region; Egypt, Syria, etc...) you will see that Israel is the aggressor as often as they are the victim. Does it make sense to back them so vehemently to the point where we will boycott an international forum dealing with racism?
I think not...
As for the section on "incitement", I haven't read the information but it is being reported that it contradicts the US' stance on Free Speech. Obviously it's an issue if a journalist makes claims against a local government and is slammed in a jail for it... but again, is the best course of action NOT showing up for the conference?
Or rather, does it make more sense to send a group there to voice our concerns and work towards resolving them with the rest of the world? The Congressional Black Caucus seems to think so and I think I am in agreement with them.
Put it this way, if we don't show up do we have any right to complain about anything that comes out of the conference? I think it's a little egotistic to think that our opinion counts if we won't actively participate.
At any rate, I'd love to see us come to our senses and get a delegation there. Since that probably won't happen, I can't wait to see the end result of this conference and our response to what comes out of it.
Waiting with baited breath...
Peace out...
Heitz
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Saturday morning bliss...
yeah, right! ;) Cup of coffee, woman sleeping in my bed, it don't get much better, does it? So, why am I sitting at my laptop???
sheesh...
Lot of crazy stuff happened this week... starting with the editorial cartoon in the NY Post.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-02-19-monkey-cartoon_N.htm
First off, no one reads the NY Post... that's like saying something was printed in the Southtown Economist, or the Davis Island Penny Saver. That being said, did the cartoonist cross the line here? My first reaction to the cartoon had nothing to do with race. I knew they were tying the shooting of the chimp the day before to the stimulus package, and I also know that Congress and the legislative branch drafted the stimulus package. President Obama is just lucky enough to be the guy to have his face on the package!
It wasn't until after the fact that I even thought about the racial implications... Obama is black (and white). Comparing African-Americans to chimps or monkeys is probably a favorite past-time of the less educated and fearful in our society. However, comparing Congress to a bunch of monkeys is also a favorite pastime... or rats, herd of sheep, etc... Did the Post think they'd have a racial backlash on their hands? ABSOLUTELY! I guarantee you they have had more hits on their web-site and more copies sold this week from the uproar than you can imagine.
Now, some people might say, "Of course you don't think it's racist and insensitive... you are white!" Well, there is nothing I can do about that... but two things I can say about it are 1) I am not afraid to talk about race and I think that is what is really the issue here (see below), and 2) I spent most of 7th grade running from kids trying to join the Gangster Disciples or Blackstones... anyone else remember that when going to school on the South Side of Chicago knows a little bit about oppression.
I feel the bigger issue, as our new Attorney General, Eric Holder, pointed out is that Americans shy away from dealing with race as an issue:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/mitchell/2009/02/attorney_general_eric_holders.html
Now, he may have used some strong words such as "cowards", etc... in getting his message across, but just because we elected our first African-American President doesn't mean all is right and fixed with regards to Civil Rights and equal treatment for all. Again, going back to my Chicago roots - there is still a lot we can do, and I feel we need to do, in order to cross those boundaries. A very insightful article ran last December in the Chicago Tribune:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/dec/26/local/chi-segregation-26-dec26
This is how I remembered Chicago growing up, and it is still the same way. Some folks, including many of my classmates from High School, ignored the invisible boundaries and went where we chose. Now, that's not to say I picked up and moved to 87th & Exchange, but there is not a corner of that city that I did not explore including the infamous Robert Taylor & Cabrini Green housing projects. The train ride from the far southwest corner of the city to the Loop basically took you through some areas that looked more like war-torn Bosnia than a bustling metropolis.
So, that is why I feel there are way more pressing issues than a political cartoon with a hidden agenda. The NY Post issued an apology, but I hope that some people that were incensed by it take a long look at AG Holder's message as well. Reach out to people that maybe you wouldn't ordinarily reach out to... go somewhere you wouldn't ordinarily consider a vacation spot and come face-to-face with history instead of avoiding the issues at hand.
Anyhoo... let me get off my soap box... let's talk some football!
Errrr... I was just reminded that it's about to be Baseball Season, meaning I have a LONG seven months or so until training camp. Sheesh...
When does the Arena League start???
Anyone???
Last note... had my birthday last week, and Angela got me the greatest birthday present ever! I'll be sure to blog about that in the next week with some pics... she's da bomb!
Peace out...
Heitz
sheesh...
Lot of crazy stuff happened this week... starting with the editorial cartoon in the NY Post.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-02-19-monkey-cartoon_N.htm
First off, no one reads the NY Post... that's like saying something was printed in the Southtown Economist, or the Davis Island Penny Saver. That being said, did the cartoonist cross the line here? My first reaction to the cartoon had nothing to do with race. I knew they were tying the shooting of the chimp the day before to the stimulus package, and I also know that Congress and the legislative branch drafted the stimulus package. President Obama is just lucky enough to be the guy to have his face on the package!
It wasn't until after the fact that I even thought about the racial implications... Obama is black (and white). Comparing African-Americans to chimps or monkeys is probably a favorite past-time of the less educated and fearful in our society. However, comparing Congress to a bunch of monkeys is also a favorite pastime... or rats, herd of sheep, etc... Did the Post think they'd have a racial backlash on their hands? ABSOLUTELY! I guarantee you they have had more hits on their web-site and more copies sold this week from the uproar than you can imagine.
Now, some people might say, "Of course you don't think it's racist and insensitive... you are white!" Well, there is nothing I can do about that... but two things I can say about it are 1) I am not afraid to talk about race and I think that is what is really the issue here (see below), and 2) I spent most of 7th grade running from kids trying to join the Gangster Disciples or Blackstones... anyone else remember that when going to school on the South Side of Chicago knows a little bit about oppression.
I feel the bigger issue, as our new Attorney General, Eric Holder, pointed out is that Americans shy away from dealing with race as an issue:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/mitchell/2009/02/attorney_general_eric_holders.html
Now, he may have used some strong words such as "cowards", etc... in getting his message across, but just because we elected our first African-American President doesn't mean all is right and fixed with regards to Civil Rights and equal treatment for all. Again, going back to my Chicago roots - there is still a lot we can do, and I feel we need to do, in order to cross those boundaries. A very insightful article ran last December in the Chicago Tribune:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/dec/26/local/chi-segregation-26-dec26
This is how I remembered Chicago growing up, and it is still the same way. Some folks, including many of my classmates from High School, ignored the invisible boundaries and went where we chose. Now, that's not to say I picked up and moved to 87th & Exchange, but there is not a corner of that city that I did not explore including the infamous Robert Taylor & Cabrini Green housing projects. The train ride from the far southwest corner of the city to the Loop basically took you through some areas that looked more like war-torn Bosnia than a bustling metropolis.
So, that is why I feel there are way more pressing issues than a political cartoon with a hidden agenda. The NY Post issued an apology, but I hope that some people that were incensed by it take a long look at AG Holder's message as well. Reach out to people that maybe you wouldn't ordinarily reach out to... go somewhere you wouldn't ordinarily consider a vacation spot and come face-to-face with history instead of avoiding the issues at hand.
Anyhoo... let me get off my soap box... let's talk some football!
Errrr... I was just reminded that it's about to be Baseball Season, meaning I have a LONG seven months or so until training camp. Sheesh...
When does the Arena League start???
Anyone???
Last note... had my birthday last week, and Angela got me the greatest birthday present ever! I'll be sure to blog about that in the next week with some pics... she's da bomb!
Peace out...
Heitz
Friday, August 29, 2008
DNC & Stuff
OK, so I admit, I didn't watch much of the Democratic National Convention. Hell, I had other stuff to do... I yelled at my Xbox, played some guitar, read some of Alan Greenspan's book... ya know, stuff like that. I did tune in last night for Barack Obama's acceptance speech; I sure as heck wasn't going to miss that!
Anyone who has read my blog over the past year knows I am an Obama fan. I get it... I know where he has done most of his work prior to entering the public sector. I grew up maybe 5-10 minutes from some of the worst neighborhoods that he was trying to help clean up on the South Side of Chicago.
the only thing that bothered me about his acceptance speech was the grandstanding... now, I know it's politics so it is to be expected. But at the same time, let's temper the over-reaching promises and at least SOUND a little realistic. Now, I am not a budget analyst for the US Government so I guess maybe there is enough that can be done in order to ensure he can "cut taxes for 95% of working class Americans"... I don't know how well the "closing of the loopholes" will be received by corporate America either. Hell, they killed the African-American President on the TV show "24" for less than that!
The one thing I thought was VERY powerful, and wasn't even aware of it until he said it... yesterday was the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. How amazing is the timing that we have our first African-American Presidential nominee accepting the nomination 45 years to the day after that speech??? WOW! All I can say...
OK, enough of that... the other thing that bugs me big-time this morning...
Seriously... David Duchovny... any woman, under sodium pentathol, if asked truthfully if this guy is attractive would laugh until she had a nosebleed and then say "NO! But he's an actor!!!" So, the headline on CNN.com saying he is going to rehab for sexual addiction?!?!?! Jeezus frikkin Cheeerist!!! Really, I don't get it... At least I reserve my Hollywood list to truly attractive women: Jessica Biel, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson (sp?)... I may as well just add Ugly Betty to the list.. wait, she actually is a damn attractive woman... ok, Cathy Bates! How about Glenn Close... seriously, I don't get her being casted in Fatal Attraction... she's absolutely gross! I just read a blog from 2005 (wow, missed that one) where someone said she is always told she looks like either Rachel Weisz or Robin Tunney... she then says neither would be considered the "hot chick". Seriously, honey, just reply to my blog if you are still out there and still look that good!!! ;)
Peace out...
Heitz
Anyone who has read my blog over the past year knows I am an Obama fan. I get it... I know where he has done most of his work prior to entering the public sector. I grew up maybe 5-10 minutes from some of the worst neighborhoods that he was trying to help clean up on the South Side of Chicago.
the only thing that bothered me about his acceptance speech was the grandstanding... now, I know it's politics so it is to be expected. But at the same time, let's temper the over-reaching promises and at least SOUND a little realistic. Now, I am not a budget analyst for the US Government so I guess maybe there is enough that can be done in order to ensure he can "cut taxes for 95% of working class Americans"... I don't know how well the "closing of the loopholes" will be received by corporate America either. Hell, they killed the African-American President on the TV show "24" for less than that!
The one thing I thought was VERY powerful, and wasn't even aware of it until he said it... yesterday was the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. How amazing is the timing that we have our first African-American Presidential nominee accepting the nomination 45 years to the day after that speech??? WOW! All I can say...
OK, enough of that... the other thing that bugs me big-time this morning...
Seriously... David Duchovny... any woman, under sodium pentathol, if asked truthfully if this guy is attractive would laugh until she had a nosebleed and then say "NO! But he's an actor!!!" So, the headline on CNN.com saying he is going to rehab for sexual addiction?!?!?! Jeezus frikkin Cheeerist!!! Really, I don't get it... At least I reserve my Hollywood list to truly attractive women: Jessica Biel, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson (sp?)... I may as well just add Ugly Betty to the list.. wait, she actually is a damn attractive woman... ok, Cathy Bates! How about Glenn Close... seriously, I don't get her being casted in Fatal Attraction... she's absolutely gross! I just read a blog from 2005 (wow, missed that one) where someone said she is always told she looks like either Rachel Weisz or Robin Tunney... she then says neither would be considered the "hot chick". Seriously, honey, just reply to my blog if you are still out there and still look that good!!! ;)
Peace out...
Heitz
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