The Great Recession needs a lifeboat
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June 26, 2009
June 21, 2009
Is this the end for Iran's Ayatollah?
This week's unprecedented events in Iran's streets represent a worst case scenario for the clerics and their puppets. The violence unleashed against the peaceful protesters and real martyrs of this green revolution is being amplified and twittered to all corners of the world. It's not an exaggeration to imply that Ahmadinejad is done with and the Ayatollah has clearly suffered a shattering setback.
In other news, Cuban and Venezuelan governments have jointly come out in favor of Ahmadinejad and have upheld the "ultra-democratic and fair" election results. Pathetic? Ultra.
But after watching a two-hour long, deep Iranian analysis on CNN's Fareed Zakaria where Brzezinski and other foreign policy analysts pondered the real consequences of Iran's post election struggle and Obama's position, it seems that this is beginning of the end for the Iranian regime.
The White House has been correct in their reluctance to meddle in this internal crisis in Iran. They don't want to add fuel to the hard-liners and neo-cons' fiery criticism of the West's evil involvement, a tool that has been used repeatedly to licentiously crack down the opposition.
Not only is this green revolution completely self-made, it is creating tectonic effects across the Middle East political landscape and could be a real catalyst for other clouded governments in the Arab world.
But the real question here is: Will all of this really shake up Iranian politics? The experts are hoping this will be the first and most critical blow before the beast collapses.
June 10, 2009
The National Deficit for Dummies
I just read David Leonhardt’s column in today’s New York Times and I praise it for its easy to grasp explanation of complex economic terms when it comes to the national deficit.
For those who still believe that Obama’s stimulus bill is sinking this country into steep deficits, I invite you to read the complete column here.If you are going to skip the column, this is the national debt explanation for dummies:
The Congressional Budget Office 2001 projection for the years 2009-12 was a surplus of $800 billion. The CBO 2009 Projection for 2009-12, the most recent one, shows a different picture: a deficit of $1.2 trillion.
Leonhardt argues that the roughly $2 trillion difference between these two estimates is due to 4 categories, which have and are still contributing to this projected deficit.
Of this $2 trillion deficit, 37% come from the business cycle. It’s a reflection of both the 2001 recession and the current one which have reduced tax revenues and required more spending on safety net programs.
The second category, 33%, comes from eight years of Bush’s policies, including tax cuts for the wealthy, the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Medicare prescription plan. Not only did the economic growth under Bush did not generate nearly enough tax revenue to pay for his agenda, it did not cover the increased interest payments to service our national debt which Asian countries have collected.
The third comes from Obama’s extension of Bush’s policies, at 20%, which include the continuation of the wars and a new tax cut for households making less than $250,000. It also includes the Wall Street Bailout, which Bush initiated and signed and Obama supported.
Only 7% of this projected $2 trillion deficit, the fourth category, comes from Obama’s stimulus bill, of which 3% accounts for healthcare reform, education reform, and energy reform.
Furthermore, White House officials say “the president is committed to a deficit equal to no more than 3% of total GDP within five to 10 years.” Insofar, the CBO discredits this by stating that they project a deficit of at least 4% of GDP for the next 10 years. Those White House economists are really good with their deficit projections!
So next time you are discussing this administration’s budgets tirades or sensing misplaced criticism or angst, remember this report and think how unfair it would be to blame Obama for incurring gigantic deficits and compromising our prosperity. The only blame we can put on this administration is its reluctance to fix this problem.
For those who still believe that Obama’s stimulus bill is sinking this country into steep deficits, I invite you to read the complete column here.If you are going to skip the column, this is the national debt explanation for dummies:
The Congressional Budget Office 2001 projection for the years 2009-12 was a surplus of $800 billion. The CBO 2009 Projection for 2009-12, the most recent one, shows a different picture: a deficit of $1.2 trillion.
Leonhardt argues that the roughly $2 trillion difference between these two estimates is due to 4 categories, which have and are still contributing to this projected deficit.
Of this $2 trillion deficit, 37% come from the business cycle. It’s a reflection of both the 2001 recession and the current one which have reduced tax revenues and required more spending on safety net programs.
The second category, 33%, comes from eight years of Bush’s policies, including tax cuts for the wealthy, the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Medicare prescription plan. Not only did the economic growth under Bush did not generate nearly enough tax revenue to pay for his agenda, it did not cover the increased interest payments to service our national debt which Asian countries have collected.
The third comes from Obama’s extension of Bush’s policies, at 20%, which include the continuation of the wars and a new tax cut for households making less than $250,000. It also includes the Wall Street Bailout, which Bush initiated and signed and Obama supported.
Only 7% of this projected $2 trillion deficit, the fourth category, comes from Obama’s stimulus bill, of which 3% accounts for healthcare reform, education reform, and energy reform.
Furthermore, White House officials say “the president is committed to a deficit equal to no more than 3% of total GDP within five to 10 years.” Insofar, the CBO discredits this by stating that they project a deficit of at least 4% of GDP for the next 10 years. Those White House economists are really good with their deficit projections!
So next time you are discussing this administration’s budgets tirades or sensing misplaced criticism or angst, remember this report and think how unfair it would be to blame Obama for incurring gigantic deficits and compromising our prosperity. The only blame we can put on this administration is its reluctance to fix this problem.
June 04, 2009
Obama's 100 Days: A Blueprint for Success
The rating of a US president’s first 100 days in office has become a must see media show in the coliseum of modern journalism. President Obama was no exception. A recent Pew poll showed Obama’s approval ratings for the first 100 days in office higher than Reagan’s. Unlike Reagan, who did not face the biggest recession since the Great Depression, Mr. Obama encounters unprecedented challenges in both the domestic and international fronts with a scattered but determined opposition, which seems to be slowly regrouping.
With a renewed and [innovative] sense of urgency, the White House has strived in the first 100 days to make government more accountable and transparent. The impetus of Mr. Obama’s message, amplified by his weekly radio addresses, frequent press conferences including a live network show appearance gained traction in the public’s perception. There was consensus among Obama’s supporters that the administration tried, and modestly accomplished, to steer away from business as usual, at least in the exceptionally high strung corridors of government. But if success is measured by perception, intent becomes the distinctive mark by which an administration is successfully appraised. President Obama’s first 100 days in office have been characterized by a new tone, a synchronized dance, a national dialogue much too different from the previous administration, whose pigeonhole approach to domestic issues contributed to their demise.
However, many suggest that the “house upon a rock” that Obama’s White House is trying to edify is too much too soon for the immense challenges we confront. Mr. Obama faces many obstacles on his uphill battle to fix Washington and America’s image in the world, and some of these sand blocks are within his own party, whose loyalties lie more with electoral demographics than with the President’s vision.
In the international arena, Mr. Obama’s new foundation found some adherence. In his trips abroad he provided an opening for dialogue between US and Iran and other regimes, including Cuba. His decision to close Guantanamo, release torture memos, put demands on Israel, set a date for pulling troops from Iraq, send more troops to Afghanistan and kill three Somali pirates are clear measures that change is taking place, albeit slowly and cautiously.
In the domestic front, things were slightly skewed for this administration. The passing of the stimulus bill, which set the tone for his economic agenda, was met with ebullient criticism. Reactions to the banking and the auto-industry bailouts were not unreasonable and the administration’s failure to cap Wall Street bonuses diminished their leverage among the American people to deal with the overall recession.
But Mr. Obama’s first 100 days showdown is over, and the real work of government has just begun. Finding common ground for all his measures will be hard, and even though change is part of our everyday parlance, the ‘house upon a rock” vision needs walls and a roof.
With a renewed and [innovative] sense of urgency, the White House has strived in the first 100 days to make government more accountable and transparent. The impetus of Mr. Obama’s message, amplified by his weekly radio addresses, frequent press conferences including a live network show appearance gained traction in the public’s perception. There was consensus among Obama’s supporters that the administration tried, and modestly accomplished, to steer away from business as usual, at least in the exceptionally high strung corridors of government. But if success is measured by perception, intent becomes the distinctive mark by which an administration is successfully appraised. President Obama’s first 100 days in office have been characterized by a new tone, a synchronized dance, a national dialogue much too different from the previous administration, whose pigeonhole approach to domestic issues contributed to their demise.
However, many suggest that the “house upon a rock” that Obama’s White House is trying to edify is too much too soon for the immense challenges we confront. Mr. Obama faces many obstacles on his uphill battle to fix Washington and America’s image in the world, and some of these sand blocks are within his own party, whose loyalties lie more with electoral demographics than with the President’s vision.
In the international arena, Mr. Obama’s new foundation found some adherence. In his trips abroad he provided an opening for dialogue between US and Iran and other regimes, including Cuba. His decision to close Guantanamo, release torture memos, put demands on Israel, set a date for pulling troops from Iraq, send more troops to Afghanistan and kill three Somali pirates are clear measures that change is taking place, albeit slowly and cautiously.
In the domestic front, things were slightly skewed for this administration. The passing of the stimulus bill, which set the tone for his economic agenda, was met with ebullient criticism. Reactions to the banking and the auto-industry bailouts were not unreasonable and the administration’s failure to cap Wall Street bonuses diminished their leverage among the American people to deal with the overall recession.
But Mr. Obama’s first 100 days showdown is over, and the real work of government has just begun. Finding common ground for all his measures will be hard, and even though change is part of our everyday parlance, the ‘house upon a rock” vision needs walls and a roof.
May 20, 2009
Winning means losing some
A win for credit card consumers, but a devastating loss for gun control and wildlife supporters.
When the win is a devastating loss, the only option is to keep your head high and your hopes higher.
US consumers obtained a sweeping victory yesterday after the Senate passed the first credit card reform bill in decades to stop interest rate spikes and penalty fees, which hurt consumers.
The new credit card rules give consumers more transparent information to manage their debt. The bill represents the first regulatory steps the Obama Administration is taking to reform the financial system.
But this bill does not come without a price. The hidden agenda is the amendment to allow loaded and concealed weapons in national parks and wildlife refuge centers. Confused? Me too.
The amendment was added as a last action measure by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) despite every legislative trick in the book by Democrats to prevent a vote on gun rights. Champions of the gun proposal relish this victory on the fact that recent Democratic ranks include senators and House members who represent Western states and more rural areas where gun ownership is popular and almost sacrosanct.
But the clear outmaneuver here is that Republicans are beginning to regroup and even if the Obama White House is lukewarm about gun control issues, the majority of Democrats see this as a devastating loss for environmental activists and wildlife supporters.
When this bill comes to effect in 2010, states will be the ones to legislate on gun control and safety, and this would clear the way for Congress to reinstate the Bush policy, which will further strip off federal responsibility to protect wildlife.
The bigger question to consider here is not whether the constitutional right to bear arms is upheld by the Federal government, but whether carrying a concealed, loaded firearm really protects lives. The reality is that this bill offers sanctuary for criminals to commit their crimes and endangers wildlife even further.
Gun control and conservation groups have urged lawmakers to insist on a credit card bill without such politically charged proposals attached to it, as in the case of a bill that grants DC full voting representation in the House, but which Republicans have attached gun rights initiatives.
This is a dirty game, attaching unrelated legislative proposals to bills, which Republicans are good at playing. Government seems to move one step forward and two steps backwards.
When the win is a devastating loss, the only option is to keep your head high and your hopes higher.
US consumers obtained a sweeping victory yesterday after the Senate passed the first credit card reform bill in decades to stop interest rate spikes and penalty fees, which hurt consumers.
The new credit card rules give consumers more transparent information to manage their debt. The bill represents the first regulatory steps the Obama Administration is taking to reform the financial system.
But this bill does not come without a price. The hidden agenda is the amendment to allow loaded and concealed weapons in national parks and wildlife refuge centers. Confused? Me too.
The amendment was added as a last action measure by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) despite every legislative trick in the book by Democrats to prevent a vote on gun rights. Champions of the gun proposal relish this victory on the fact that recent Democratic ranks include senators and House members who represent Western states and more rural areas where gun ownership is popular and almost sacrosanct.
But the clear outmaneuver here is that Republicans are beginning to regroup and even if the Obama White House is lukewarm about gun control issues, the majority of Democrats see this as a devastating loss for environmental activists and wildlife supporters.
When this bill comes to effect in 2010, states will be the ones to legislate on gun control and safety, and this would clear the way for Congress to reinstate the Bush policy, which will further strip off federal responsibility to protect wildlife.
The bigger question to consider here is not whether the constitutional right to bear arms is upheld by the Federal government, but whether carrying a concealed, loaded firearm really protects lives. The reality is that this bill offers sanctuary for criminals to commit their crimes and endangers wildlife even further.
Gun control and conservation groups have urged lawmakers to insist on a credit card bill without such politically charged proposals attached to it, as in the case of a bill that grants DC full voting representation in the House, but which Republicans have attached gun rights initiatives.
This is a dirty game, attaching unrelated legislative proposals to bills, which Republicans are good at playing. Government seems to move one step forward and two steps backwards.
April 27, 2009
Waking up to Electoral Reality
Republicans are beginning to look dazed and confused. Without a leader in sight or a relevant slogan, they are still making banter and noise, desperately flocking TEA parties and resurrecting radio hosts. After many closed door sessions, they still have not produced a single counter-reformative measure that can effectively compete with Obama’s much criticized stimulus bill.
Just this week, a new Pew poll shows Obama’s approval ratings for the first 100 days in office higher than Reagan’s numbers. Unlike Reagan who did not face the biggest economic slowdown since the Great Depression, Obama’s challenge, unprecedented in all categories, seems to have propelled the opposition’s cacophony to new levels.
What Obama has to realize is that oppositions are part of the dynamics of a democracy, and that instead of creating a playing field for them, he has to govern by the ideals he was elected on. In every democratic government, oppositions get by relatively well, as long as they are productive and coherent, which has not been the case for Republicans. Image rehabilitation is only part of the medicine needed for a healthy recovery. This was the case for the Democrats in the eight years of the Bush Administration.
Finally this election was a referendum at all levels. Mr. Obama should not expect any complacency or candor from the opposition. If this is a showdown between the status quo and fulfilling the platform he was elected on, it should sink in that 58% of the electorate is banking on status quo reversal.
March 23, 2009
The Pope's Answer to AIDS: A Sermon
So the Pope makes another incongruous statement, this time about how condoms are not the answer for the prevention of AIDS in Africa, and I thought we were well into the 21st century! The moral stance on the use of condoms in church doctrine is easily becoming the last straw for many Catholics, including those who might not have been initially swayed by the whole pedophilic scandals at the beginning of the decade.
I don’t see any other religious leader out there making the same outrageous statements. I bet, if you were to look inside this pope’s private trunk you would find several items of dubious character: a flagellation whip, the Harry Potter invisible cloak, the last surviving copy of The Last Inquisitor, and the manuscript autobiography of Adolf Hitler, which nobody knows exists.
To think that Africa’s AIDS pandemic can be reduced to a version of a Sunday sermon and serve as a tool to advance erroneous church doctrine is completely out touch, out of context, and out of this world. Does he have the guts to tell Africans that mosquito nets are not the answer to malaria deaths, and that digging holes to bury themselves is a better solution? I guess his PR department is AIG insured, and in that case, the bonuses are due anyway.
March 16, 2009
March 10, 2009
The Case for Nationalization
This has been a very difficult week for the Obama administration. The Geithner/Summers’ economic plan, mid-way from being implemented, has come under a half-sensical attack. On one side, Republicans have unitedly opposed it as a crazy spending spree with a socialist agenda, while a vast majority of economists, many now working for Team Obama, still think it is not enough to stimulate and grow the economy. Aside from a lack of bipartisan support in Washington, many economists and analysts now believe that the real cancer of this recession lies in the banking system, and if left to its own devices, it will burn through the recovery money like gambling junkies in a casino.
Take for instance the largest banks in the US: Wells Fargo, J. P. Morgan Chase, Citibank, Bank of America and HSBC. Economists and anyone out there in their right mind know that at this point, even if questions of fairness are raised at the notion that we are feeding the capitalist canker we are trying to eradicate, the government cannot allow these giants to fail. Why? Because the cost would be unthinkable and more damaging to consumers, investors, taxpayers and ultimately the American economy. So what is Obama to do? He should carefully consider plans to temporarily nationalize the banks, by breaking them into manageable sizes. By buying their toxic assets and controlling the freefall of their stocks and the increase in net-loss derivatives he can more easily restore lending. Capping CEO pay and re-establishing some regulations is a good start, but it is not enough to restore consumer confidence.
Last year, when the Bush administration bailed out the banks the first time, the purpose of the bailout was to free up credit and allow for banks to beef up their vaults. However, instead of taking the money to address their liquidity problems, they went out on a shopping spree. Wells Fargo acquired Wachovia, J.P. Morgan bought Washington Mutual and Bank of America seized Merrill Lynch. Is there something wrong with this picture? Absolutely. These bailouts left out the government’s conditions and specifications to interpretation. This time, the Obama administration has to be stricter. How about creating a banking czar? Republicans will never agree to this, even if they cannot put together one sound economic policy and present it to the American people. But the alternative is bleaker: throwing money at the banking industry without some strings attached can make Obama seem like an appeaser, not a reformer.
Even if the American people are willing to turn a cold shoulder to Republican criticism because of their lack of better and interesting ideas, time is of the essence if the Administration is to push for a bigger, bolder and desperately needed banking rescue. Unemployment is at a 25-year high, consumer spending has been at a record low, foreign investment has dried up, and confidence is running out in the financial markets. The American people should understand that the only way to erase these assets from the balance sheets is by buying up shares. At the end, the public should realize that they are the only ones that stand to gain.
February 26, 2009
The Opposition’s Tug of Rhetoric
Yesterday’s speech by President Obama, addressed to a joint session of Congress and clearly directed at the American people, was a sour reminder of the uphill battle our nation faces toward recovery and reform. Guilty of caution to an extreme, the President managed to sound hopeful to an increasingly politically incredulous crowd. But this is insular Washington, so in my book, he gets points just by standing up there and making his case for a better future.
However clear and optimistic Obama’s message might be, there is plenty of crumbling speed ahead of us. The economy is a disaster. Unemployment will keep rising to unprecedented levels as long as credit remains frozen in the rusty pipes of the financial sector. As much as half of this downward spiral is based on fear, and as long as the American people keep stumbling upon the opposition’s misplaced criticism of the Administration’s economic reforms, the long road to recovery will seem insurmountable.
The latent defeatism of the GOP has plunged to a new low and Governor Jindal (R-LA) has emerged as their spokesperson. It is without much contemplation that the members of his party are rallying against the recovery bill’s chance to jumpstart the economy. Their fodder? That government has no place in nation-building and recovery. Of course, there is substantial evidence against this rhetoric, but in the face of political annihilation much of this verbosity has translated into little persuasiveness precisely because the GOP, the party of fiscal responsibility, has contributed to the rampant deficit and the economic tsunami we have inherited.
What should be obvious in their impertinent argument is that when government is faced with a crisis such as this one, not doing enough can be costly. We see the consequences around the world. Economic crises can weaken the middle class, obstruct development and bring chaos. The world’s biggest middle class is now in trouble and much is at stake if government does not step in. This of course, is what Jindal’s party fundamentally opposes, and their solution is more of the same: taxcuts and a hands-off approach to basic universal problems like healthcare, energy independence and education reform. Fortunately, this crisis presents an opportunity for Obama’s government to try to fix some of the fundamental problems that got us here in the first place.
When 9/11 happened and Pres. Bush rallied us against his cause for war, much of the nation gave him the benefit of the doubt. It was not until six months later that we, the American public, realized we had evidently lost control and had stepped into the biggest foreign policy fiasco this nation has ever been confronted with still no end in sight. The least this Administration deserves is a fair attempt at improving the economy with a full front-attack. And let it be clear to Jindal and his party that after two wars, Katrina, the biggest deficit in US history and six straight unbalanced budgets, they have no moral grounds to lecture the Administration on how to go about fixing the problem.
February 09, 2009
Recovery Should Be Obama’s Bait
No doubt President Obama’s first days in office have been stressful. From faulty nominations to uncooperative deals, some say it's politics as usual. The media is busy dissecting all of this, highlighting, with some merit, his inexperience in back-channel negotiation tactics. But the truth is more profound. The economy and our livelihoods are in crisis and I think it’s time for Obama to put aside his gaily efforts to be bipartisan and focus on selling his recovery bill to the American people, which finally he will do this week, with or without the Republicans on board. Ultimately we, the taxpayers, will decide in favor of it.
Republicans have been doing a great job of making this American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus bill) sound like a wasteful spending spree. For Republicans, tax cuts should be the number one ingredient in the pot. Really? And what would John Doe do with a $1,200 tax cut? Go to Disneyland? Buy a flat screen TV set? If the average John Doe is like most of us, scared and reticent, he will cautiously put that money away or use it to pay up debt. This reasoning is what Republicans don’t understand. They want to jolt the economy back to life, to the unprecedented levels of profits and growth of the past 25 years so that corporate America can go back to their old ways of doing business.
Fortunately, Obama and his team can see through the smokescreen even if some of the details don’t yet add up. He has been saying it during the campaign. America needs to fundamentally change gears when it comes to spending, profiteering, and saving if we are to learn from the deepening mess we find ourselves in. He understands exactly how we got here: on credit and by lascivious risk-taking. Wall Street got greedier and rejected conservative and sound investment policies. Their complex schemes got the better of them and they developed glaucoma in their investment decisions. When the pressure set in and the losses started to compound, whose door did they knock on? You know the answer.
I understand the argument of some, that if we grow the size of government, things will get out of hand. It is true, overseeing the debt and spending of government takes a lot of work. It requires agencies working together in efficient, transparent and harmonious ways. However, if we are to avoid the past failed attempts at recession rescue plans, like Japan’s, we need a more comprehensive approach to spending. And this bill is offering exactly that. There is plenty of smart spending, which builds upon the realization that job recreation and long-term growth can come from government taking the initiative. How? By spending on infrastructure, education, research, science and technology, energy production, reforming our tax code, our trade agreements, specially investment regulations so that corporate and government financial transactions appear, at least, transparent.
If we fail to act now in defense of our expensive healthcare system, our crippled infrastructure, our burdened education system, our costly energy system and our unregulated financial system, it will be too late and expensive in the future, and we will have no incentives. For example, our green revolution is waiting to take off, if government is willing to be the co-pilot. This recession will be not be a short one, its lingering effects will continue to sip in even as recovery efforts make their presence in urban, rural, and suburban areas across America. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the greatest human challenge Americans face, one which will claim more victims than 9/11, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and Hurricane Katrina combined.
December 19, 2008
Dog Walk
My dogs have a routine. Just like their human companions, they thrive on love, guidance and protection. This is not to say they cannot wake up one day with a little crankiness or what we call in Spanish, waking up with the left foot.
Their lives are dictated by routines, and being creatures of habit like most of us, they have learned to recognize the subtle ways of passing time, the unfolding of precious hours of leisure or boredom, until I come home from work and they are excited again for what follows: the evening routine.
My dogs have adapted wonderfully, I must say, to their new and constrained living quarters. Whereas before they had a suburban haven, a four-bedroom, two-story house to themselves where they spent their days napping blissfully and sunbathing by the windows, now they are confined to a 600 square foot loft in the middle of a bustling city.
I will never understand why dogs love walks so much, even my oldest dog which sometimes limps and is quite old, seems ready to welcome another monotonous day ahead and enjoys the sweetness of routine interactions which are part of her walk. Leaving our building enlivens them. On occasions, we encounter dogs returning from their walks and I cannot help but think theirs is over while mine’s are just beginning. Sweet walk ahead.
We walk impatiently towards the Building Museum, which has a big lawn, and is a plus in this part of town called the Land of the Lofts. This is doggy heaven, where neighborhood dogs come to do their business. As soon as she is out the door, my oldest dog fixates her nose and eyes on the food crumbles she will make it a point to find in her path ahead. Sometimes, I feel embarrassed by her annoying habits of eating anything off the floor, straining her leash to get to some food particle stuck between the concrete ridges of the sidewalk. She is not starving, I keep telling myself, just obsessive about food. My younger dog is a rambunctious male terrier, who weighs no more than 13 pounds and howls at every other passing dog and loud truck. This is the second embarrassment of the walk I have to face. Most dog owners in this area have pretty well-behaved dogs, or they have never had a Jack Russell Terrier. I do hope it’s the latter, because if not, I easily become the embarrassment of the block.
Once on the grass, my dogs do their business. They smell, they pee, they rub their bodies in the grass. I have seen them get curious over bees, and butterflies and squirrels and birds. It strikes me as funny when they see something up ahead and cannot decipher what it is; they slowly approach the suspicious item, which can be anything from an empty bucket to a curled up bag, with such caution that you feel their bodies tense up and their ears perked up. When it’s nothing, and it usually is, one sniff diffuses the situation. However one time, I failed to react fast enough when my JRT snatched a young opossum from inside a trash can.
After returning from their morning walk, it is breakfast time, followed by nap time while I organize the house and get ready for work. They spend the entire days alone, God knows doing what, until I come home from work and take them out for their second walk. Now this one is a tricky one, because everyone else is coming from work and doing the same thing. All these dogs are out, some are anxious from being left alone, others cranky because someone forgot to leave out their favorite toy and others just plain hungry. After dinner, the last walk is followed by bedtime.
Their lives are dictated by routines, and being creatures of habit like most of us, they have learned to recognize the subtle ways of passing time, the unfolding of precious hours of leisure or boredom, until I come home from work and they are excited again for what follows: the evening routine.
My dogs have adapted wonderfully, I must say, to their new and constrained living quarters. Whereas before they had a suburban haven, a four-bedroom, two-story house to themselves where they spent their days napping blissfully and sunbathing by the windows, now they are confined to a 600 square foot loft in the middle of a bustling city.
I will never understand why dogs love walks so much, even my oldest dog which sometimes limps and is quite old, seems ready to welcome another monotonous day ahead and enjoys the sweetness of routine interactions which are part of her walk. Leaving our building enlivens them. On occasions, we encounter dogs returning from their walks and I cannot help but think theirs is over while mine’s are just beginning. Sweet walk ahead.
We walk impatiently towards the Building Museum, which has a big lawn, and is a plus in this part of town called the Land of the Lofts. This is doggy heaven, where neighborhood dogs come to do their business. As soon as she is out the door, my oldest dog fixates her nose and eyes on the food crumbles she will make it a point to find in her path ahead. Sometimes, I feel embarrassed by her annoying habits of eating anything off the floor, straining her leash to get to some food particle stuck between the concrete ridges of the sidewalk. She is not starving, I keep telling myself, just obsessive about food. My younger dog is a rambunctious male terrier, who weighs no more than 13 pounds and howls at every other passing dog and loud truck. This is the second embarrassment of the walk I have to face. Most dog owners in this area have pretty well-behaved dogs, or they have never had a Jack Russell Terrier. I do hope it’s the latter, because if not, I easily become the embarrassment of the block.
Once on the grass, my dogs do their business. They smell, they pee, they rub their bodies in the grass. I have seen them get curious over bees, and butterflies and squirrels and birds. It strikes me as funny when they see something up ahead and cannot decipher what it is; they slowly approach the suspicious item, which can be anything from an empty bucket to a curled up bag, with such caution that you feel their bodies tense up and their ears perked up. When it’s nothing, and it usually is, one sniff diffuses the situation. However one time, I failed to react fast enough when my JRT snatched a young opossum from inside a trash can.
After returning from their morning walk, it is breakfast time, followed by nap time while I organize the house and get ready for work. They spend the entire days alone, God knows doing what, until I come home from work and take them out for their second walk. Now this one is a tricky one, because everyone else is coming from work and doing the same thing. All these dogs are out, some are anxious from being left alone, others cranky because someone forgot to leave out their favorite toy and others just plain hungry. After dinner, the last walk is followed by bedtime.
Some people say that dogs resemble their owners in many quirky ways. Some may even boast physical similarities, while others are content to copy our behaviors, not to mention that almost all of them learn to read our moods which they use as a jumping board to interact with others. My dogs are amazing creatures; they don’t ask for much and hardly ever complain about the tedious routine they are subjected to everyday. The least I can do is take them out for long walks, play catch, meet other dogs, bring them in the car when doing car errands and give them lots of affection. At the end of the day the walk is a powerful bonding tool.
December 17, 2008
Ayuda para la blogosfera Cubana
Yoani Sanchez pide ayuda "para saltar la censura, o hacerle grietas".
This girl has been blogging by phone since April 2007, from internet cafes, posing as a tourist, mainly because domestic internet connections are blocked in Cuba. She and her group of bloggers are followed closely and have been denied tourist visas. She is the most famous blogger on the island, and her Generation Y Blog has captured the imagination of many, as she narrates the idiosyncrasies of the Cuban regime in a resourceful and poignant voice.
She now needs our help. She is asking for technical advise on how to circumvent censure in her country.
History's Full Circle
One of the riveting effects of working at the Library of Congress is the everyday realization that knowledge is a transformative intellectual tool that is useful to all, really. Learning about history of peoples and things it is not a solitude exercise. Certainly, the notion that history is something detached or removed from everyday life, and that the study of certain subject matters belong in a time capsule because of the assumption that history is not entertaining, useful or simply a general topic of conversation is an absolute mistake.
I have given in to this assumption many times before. But working at the Library of Congress has changed that. This is how history’s tentacles work.
I decided to attend a public lecture given by one of the fellows in residence at the Center where I work. Timothy Rohan has dedicated his career to studying, curating and interpreting Paul Rudolph’s works, a 20th century American architect. Rohan discussed how the fellowship at the Center, has given him wide access to Rudolph’s entire works, now housed at the Library of Congress, under the Paul Rudolph Collection at the Prints and Photographs Division. He also discussed the exhibition he curated at Yale University, running until January 23, 2009 at the newly rededicated Paul Rudolph’s Art and Architecture Building.
I really enjoyed Rohan’s insightful interpretations of Rudolph’s influence on post World War II architecture, especially in urban planning. Rudolph was famous for reinterpreting urban landscapes and redeveloping existing structures in order to make buildings relevant to contemporary aesthetic needs. Rohan explained how Rudoph’s committed patronage helped test his ideas of structural expression, monumentality, urbanism and prefabrication in many campuses and cities across America.
At the end of the lecture, Rohan personally thanked and pointed at C. Ford Peatross, the curator of Paul Rudolph’s Collection at the Library of Congress. When I got home, I instinctively pulled out the book on Rudolph my husband, an architect, owns titled Paul Rudolph: The Florida Houses. Curious to find out who had written it, I learned that the preface had been written by Peatross, who collaborated extensively with the authors. The book was published in 2003. In the book’s dedication, the authors rightfully thanked many colleagues, including Rohan, the young architectural historian, who is becoming a forceful authority on Paul Rudolph’s works. The perk is that I get to ask Rohan and Peatross to sign the book, but most importantly the book has greater meaning and equitable value now that historians like Rohan are reinterpreting Rudolph’s works in history. This is how history makes its full circle, even if it is a tiny one. By the way, the book’s cost in Amazon is around $800 for a used copy. I tell you, got to love history.
December 15, 2008
The Holidays
You have been bitten by the holiday bug
If you suddenly feel the Christmas rush
You can run and hide from the cheerful hum
But you cannot ignore the holiday buzz
‘Tis the season to be jolly
Fa la la la la, la la la la…
For some unpredictable reason
Christmas starts early this season
Black Friday¹ has become
A nation-wide symbolic spur
We can’t believe our eyes
When we see the sales arrive
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose…
In a time when consumer choices
Trigger global warming causes
The best way to feel redeemed
Is to recycle your Christmas tree²
Joy to the world, the Lord has come
let Earth receive her King…
At Christmas time,
Christians and non-Christians alike
Make the holiday festivities
The center of their lives
After all, unto us a child is born
So is the need of improving our souls
Something we all constantly seek
Regardless of our religious beliefs
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose…
Bountiful feasts abound everywhere
Around fireplaces, children will play
While others instinctively will discern
That kindness and grace will not wane
When the spirit of the season fades
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
dressed in holiday style…
Soon it will be Christmas day
Wherever we find ourselves
Excitement is everywhere
Winter wardrobes are on display
As scarves and mittens warm up our days
In city centers, windows are dressed
Holiday lights beaming away
While holiday music fills the air
In dreams, children gaze at the Polar Express
And parents hide their holiday stress
Frosty the snowman
was a jolly, happy soul
The holiday spirit is a funny one
Debts are forgiven and people have pride
On the things they offer in a generous fashion
For free smiles are a contagious reaction
In the meadow we can build a snowman
then pretend that he is Parson Brown
The holiday spirit is put to the test
When family members celebrate
One of the things they truly enjoy
Seeing their children play with new toys
But old Charlie Brown was wise,
Christmas has been compromised
By commerce, greed and bottom lines
Good king Wenceslas looked up
on the feast of Stephen
Wouldn’t it be nice if for once?
Instead of maxing up our cards
We do something small and nice
And give to charity with open hearts
The generosity of giving souls
Fulfills our dreams and hopes
Silent night, holy night
all is calm, all is bright….
Sad as it is, it’s worth mentioning
An ugly side of holiday bliss
Our furry friends³ may stray away
Others will be left in the rain
Nights could turn into despair
If we fail them in good care
¹In the US at least, frenzy consumers fill the stores to slaughterhouse capacity the day after Thanksgiving.
²Not only are we putting our lights earlier this year, a weak economy means Christmas tree sales could spark as more people stay home for the holidays.
³Millions of pets end up in the streets during the holiday season, victims of abuse and neglect.
If you suddenly feel the Christmas rush
You can run and hide from the cheerful hum
But you cannot ignore the holiday buzz
‘Tis the season to be jolly
Fa la la la la, la la la la…
For some unpredictable reason
Christmas starts early this season
Black Friday¹ has become
A nation-wide symbolic spur
We can’t believe our eyes
When we see the sales arrive
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose…
In a time when consumer choices
Trigger global warming causes
The best way to feel redeemed
Is to recycle your Christmas tree²
Joy to the world, the Lord has come
let Earth receive her King…
At Christmas time,
Christians and non-Christians alike
Make the holiday festivities
The center of their lives
After all, unto us a child is born
So is the need of improving our souls
Something we all constantly seek
Regardless of our religious beliefs
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose…
Bountiful feasts abound everywhere
Around fireplaces, children will play
While others instinctively will discern
That kindness and grace will not wane
When the spirit of the season fades
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
dressed in holiday style…
Soon it will be Christmas day
Wherever we find ourselves
Excitement is everywhere
Winter wardrobes are on display
As scarves and mittens warm up our days
In city centers, windows are dressed
Holiday lights beaming away
While holiday music fills the air
In dreams, children gaze at the Polar Express
And parents hide their holiday stress
Frosty the snowman
was a jolly, happy soul
The holiday spirit is a funny one
Debts are forgiven and people have pride
On the things they offer in a generous fashion
For free smiles are a contagious reaction
In the meadow we can build a snowman
then pretend that he is Parson Brown
The holiday spirit is put to the test
When family members celebrate
One of the things they truly enjoy
Seeing their children play with new toys
But old Charlie Brown was wise,
Christmas has been compromised
By commerce, greed and bottom lines
Good king Wenceslas looked up
on the feast of Stephen
Wouldn’t it be nice if for once?
Instead of maxing up our cards
We do something small and nice
And give to charity with open hearts
The generosity of giving souls
Fulfills our dreams and hopes
Silent night, holy night
all is calm, all is bright….
Sad as it is, it’s worth mentioning
An ugly side of holiday bliss
Our furry friends³ may stray away
Others will be left in the rain
Nights could turn into despair
If we fail them in good care
¹In the US at least, frenzy consumers fill the stores to slaughterhouse capacity the day after Thanksgiving.
²Not only are we putting our lights earlier this year, a weak economy means Christmas tree sales could spark as more people stay home for the holidays.
³Millions of pets end up in the streets during the holiday season, victims of abuse and neglect.
December 04, 2008
How to economize without losing your head
By now you should be aware that it’s official: The National Bureau of Economic Research said the US has been in recession since Dec. 2007. However, like many, I have managed to survive the recession so far. Here are my tips for calling the shots and saving my pockets this holiday season:
1.Rethink your expenses. This is a must. Start off with your credit cards. Don’t use them unless it’s an emergency. If you can’t buy something with your debit card, it means you cannot afford it on credit. Make sure that you are paying at least the minimum, that way your credit is not affected. Once you are able to stave off this crisis, you can increase the monthly payments. If you have any other monthly charges which you can live without, get rid of them. These are dry cleaning bills, house cleaning bills, and pet grooming (you can groom Fido yourself). Also seek different shortcuts or bargains for those expenses you don’t want to skimp on, like manicures (who needs a pedicure in this weather) and haircuts. For some people it’s a trade off. I rather keep my monthly donations (ASPCA, WWF, etc) than get expensive manicures and haircuts.
2.Sacrifice your mode of transportation. This is for city commuters. Don’t take that taxi unless is absolutely necessary, use the metro or subway, have an umbrella at all times and walk more. You will be glad you did. It is healthier and you are forced to do more thinking, which in many cases, helps you sort out problems and tackle your next big plan.
3.Personalize and budget gifts. This holiday season, put extra care and thought on the way you give. Survey those friends and family members you are planning to gift, and ask them to rate the gifts they would like to receive. You can send an email asking them to return it to you. Possible choices to include in the survey are gift cards (specific stores), itunes certificates, books (make sure you know their taste), kitchenware, clothes, home accessories, or things you already have in mind for them. The point is to save money by hunting for the special gift and giving them something they want and find useful. Make holiday shopping a good experience. Hit the stores early in the morning, wear something comfortable and have your IPod on. Enjoy, the holidays are only once a year.
4.Eat in. That dinner will cost you more than a week of groceries. So make a list and buy food you can prep at home. Buying vegetables and greens for salads and wraps it’s a healthy way to keep calories on check. Having a bowl of healthy cereal, a banana or an apple and coffee in the mornings helps control your hunger and stabilizes your metabolism. Don’t be afraid of trying a little cooking too, like rice, beans and grilled fish. Make it fun by drinking a glass of wine while preparing food and listening to music. This ritual twice a week warms up your place. Invite friends over for holiday cocktails, all you need is a few appetizers, wine and good conversation. There are plenty of websites you can check to help guide you through one of this fetes as well as channels like the Food Network. In harsh economic times, your home should be your retreat, so make it inviting.
5.Who hasn’t Netflixed? It’s nice to go to the movies with friends and make it a social gathering, but I suggest Netflix for regular moviegoers. The savings are big. For about eight dollars a month you can view up to 5 movies at a time. Invite your friends over, ask them to make a small contribution, and you can enjoy any movie of your choice with wine, some popcorn and something sweet. You can also rotate houses and make movie suggestions as well. This, of course, is for serious movie buffs.
6.Do little things around the house. If you cannot live without candles, then don’t, just buy in bulk. Tealights are a good choice and are not messy. Things like, putting the shower liner in the wash cycle and hanging it back to dry are cheaper, than buying a new one; turning off the TV and lights helps reduce electricity bills, especially if you are having the heater on this winter. The point is to be conscious about consuming less. Once you get into this state of mind, the rest is easier.
7.Find innovative ways to make money. Tools like E-bay, and craigslist are great places to sell your unwanted things. Also, if you speak another language, you can offer classes, or if you like pets, you can consider pet-sitting. For ex., this month I am going to bake brownies and sell them at my job’s cafeteria. Just be creative and don’t stress either.
8.Consider brewing your own coffee. I started doing this and it is so much cheaper. Brew coffee in the morning and just take it in a thermos or sealable cup to work. You will have fresh coffee the whole morning without even leaving your desk. Now that’s awesome.
9.Some reading materials are not created equal. Consider free newsprint. In major cities, they are everywhere. Also I rather subscribe to certain magazines than buy them in the stands. Yeah, it’s nice to stop at a newsstand and buy a magazine on your way to work, but believe me, if you have a defined choice of read, it’s cheaper to subscribe. I receive Time Magazine and save about 66% off the cover. I am now considering an Oprah Home subscription for about $10 a year, or 50% off the cost if I were to buy it in the stands for the same period. Now that’s a good splurge.
10.And finally, be thankful that you still have your job this holiday season. With unemployment at a 16-year high, you should not be complaining. Thousands more will lose their jobs this month. Ouch.
1.Rethink your expenses. This is a must. Start off with your credit cards. Don’t use them unless it’s an emergency. If you can’t buy something with your debit card, it means you cannot afford it on credit. Make sure that you are paying at least the minimum, that way your credit is not affected. Once you are able to stave off this crisis, you can increase the monthly payments. If you have any other monthly charges which you can live without, get rid of them. These are dry cleaning bills, house cleaning bills, and pet grooming (you can groom Fido yourself). Also seek different shortcuts or bargains for those expenses you don’t want to skimp on, like manicures (who needs a pedicure in this weather) and haircuts. For some people it’s a trade off. I rather keep my monthly donations (ASPCA, WWF, etc) than get expensive manicures and haircuts.
2.Sacrifice your mode of transportation. This is for city commuters. Don’t take that taxi unless is absolutely necessary, use the metro or subway, have an umbrella at all times and walk more. You will be glad you did. It is healthier and you are forced to do more thinking, which in many cases, helps you sort out problems and tackle your next big plan.
3.Personalize and budget gifts. This holiday season, put extra care and thought on the way you give. Survey those friends and family members you are planning to gift, and ask them to rate the gifts they would like to receive. You can send an email asking them to return it to you. Possible choices to include in the survey are gift cards (specific stores), itunes certificates, books (make sure you know their taste), kitchenware, clothes, home accessories, or things you already have in mind for them. The point is to save money by hunting for the special gift and giving them something they want and find useful. Make holiday shopping a good experience. Hit the stores early in the morning, wear something comfortable and have your IPod on. Enjoy, the holidays are only once a year.
4.Eat in. That dinner will cost you more than a week of groceries. So make a list and buy food you can prep at home. Buying vegetables and greens for salads and wraps it’s a healthy way to keep calories on check. Having a bowl of healthy cereal, a banana or an apple and coffee in the mornings helps control your hunger and stabilizes your metabolism. Don’t be afraid of trying a little cooking too, like rice, beans and grilled fish. Make it fun by drinking a glass of wine while preparing food and listening to music. This ritual twice a week warms up your place. Invite friends over for holiday cocktails, all you need is a few appetizers, wine and good conversation. There are plenty of websites you can check to help guide you through one of this fetes as well as channels like the Food Network. In harsh economic times, your home should be your retreat, so make it inviting.
5.Who hasn’t Netflixed? It’s nice to go to the movies with friends and make it a social gathering, but I suggest Netflix for regular moviegoers. The savings are big. For about eight dollars a month you can view up to 5 movies at a time. Invite your friends over, ask them to make a small contribution, and you can enjoy any movie of your choice with wine, some popcorn and something sweet. You can also rotate houses and make movie suggestions as well. This, of course, is for serious movie buffs.
6.Do little things around the house. If you cannot live without candles, then don’t, just buy in bulk. Tealights are a good choice and are not messy. Things like, putting the shower liner in the wash cycle and hanging it back to dry are cheaper, than buying a new one; turning off the TV and lights helps reduce electricity bills, especially if you are having the heater on this winter. The point is to be conscious about consuming less. Once you get into this state of mind, the rest is easier.
7.Find innovative ways to make money. Tools like E-bay, and craigslist are great places to sell your unwanted things. Also, if you speak another language, you can offer classes, or if you like pets, you can consider pet-sitting. For ex., this month I am going to bake brownies and sell them at my job’s cafeteria. Just be creative and don’t stress either.
8.Consider brewing your own coffee. I started doing this and it is so much cheaper. Brew coffee in the morning and just take it in a thermos or sealable cup to work. You will have fresh coffee the whole morning without even leaving your desk. Now that’s awesome.
9.Some reading materials are not created equal. Consider free newsprint. In major cities, they are everywhere. Also I rather subscribe to certain magazines than buy them in the stands. Yeah, it’s nice to stop at a newsstand and buy a magazine on your way to work, but believe me, if you have a defined choice of read, it’s cheaper to subscribe. I receive Time Magazine and save about 66% off the cover. I am now considering an Oprah Home subscription for about $10 a year, or 50% off the cost if I were to buy it in the stands for the same period. Now that’s a good splurge.
10.And finally, be thankful that you still have your job this holiday season. With unemployment at a 16-year high, you should not be complaining. Thousands more will lose their jobs this month. Ouch.
November 21, 2008
America leads again
Under the watchful eyes of the world America has once again made history. For an overwhelming majority, Obama’s victory creates the possibility for a ‘new’ America. One that is no longer white, homogeneous and singular; but rather multi-racial, heterogeneous and pluralist.
“We as a people” are part of a historic moment in our lives, Obama
said, that glorious night in Grand Park, IL recounting America’s brightest threshold moments from Lincoln’s Inaugural address to the fall of the Berlin wall, Americans have been at the center of all these transcendental events, and Obama’s victory will go down in history as the day America finally ‘evolved’.
Many of our allies in the world have yet to see a moment like this take
place on their own turfs. As the perpetual light bearer of the world, America has shown the ability to startle the world with our passion, our optimism and our sense of renewed hope. It is a place, finally, where the content of our President’s character is more important than his cultural background.
“We as a people” are part of a historic moment in our lives, Obama
said, that glorious night in Grand Park, IL recounting America’s brightest threshold moments from Lincoln’s Inaugural address to the fall of the Berlin wall, Americans have been at the center of all these transcendental events, and Obama’s victory will go down in history as the day America finally ‘evolved’.
Many of our allies in the world have yet to see a moment like this take
place on their own turfs. As the perpetual light bearer of the world, America has shown the ability to startle the world with our passion, our optimism and our sense of renewed hope. It is a place, finally, where the content of our President’s character is more important than his cultural background.
November 04, 2008
Obama's economic policy team: two thumbs up
Now that the United States is experiencing the biggest economic crisis in modern history, it is safe to say, that America’s best choice is Senator Barrack Obama. After eight years of irresponsible management and low-grade politics, the obvious choice is the Democratic ticket. But instead of capitalizing on the downfalls of the Bush administration and the offspring they have produced, here is why Obama's economic plan is the best option for America.
When it comes to improving the economic prospects of this nation at this critical time, the Obama economic team has highlighted the necessary steps for recovery, reform and renewability desperately needed in the unconscientious American financial system.
Heading Obama’s economic policy team is Jason Furman, a 39 year-old centrist economist and fiscal policy expert from Harvard University. Obama has also enlisted other top-notch economists and academics including Alan Binder, a Princeton University economist and former Federal Reserve Chairman; Austan Goolsbee, senior economist at the Progressive Policy Institute and columnist for the New York Times; Jeffrey Liebman, a pension and poverty expert at Harvard University; and David Cultler, a Harvard University health economist. Other prominent advisors come from The Brookings Institution, The Center for American Progress and Citigroup.
But the most exciting, un-official advisor and supporter comes in the form of an unpretentious billionaire named Warren Buffet, solidifying Obama’s bid for the Presidency. Buffet has held fundraisers for Obama and has rallied entrepreneurs, economists, and union leaders to back him, stressing the fact that it’s about time for tax reform and healthcare reform, specifically shifting the tax burden away from the middle class to the upper rich. In Buffet’s words, it is called social justice.
Finally, someone with enough guts has finally called McCain’s bluff. It’s not socialism you swiftboating morons, it’s social justice.
When it comes to improving the economic prospects of this nation at this critical time, the Obama economic team has highlighted the necessary steps for recovery, reform and renewability desperately needed in the unconscientious American financial system.
Heading Obama’s economic policy team is Jason Furman, a 39 year-old centrist economist and fiscal policy expert from Harvard University. Obama has also enlisted other top-notch economists and academics including Alan Binder, a Princeton University economist and former Federal Reserve Chairman; Austan Goolsbee, senior economist at the Progressive Policy Institute and columnist for the New York Times; Jeffrey Liebman, a pension and poverty expert at Harvard University; and David Cultler, a Harvard University health economist. Other prominent advisors come from The Brookings Institution, The Center for American Progress and Citigroup.
But the most exciting, un-official advisor and supporter comes in the form of an unpretentious billionaire named Warren Buffet, solidifying Obama’s bid for the Presidency. Buffet has held fundraisers for Obama and has rallied entrepreneurs, economists, and union leaders to back him, stressing the fact that it’s about time for tax reform and healthcare reform, specifically shifting the tax burden away from the middle class to the upper rich. In Buffet’s words, it is called social justice.
Finally, someone with enough guts has finally called McCain’s bluff. It’s not socialism you swiftboating morons, it’s social justice.
April 22, 2008
Obama is Not a Movement
Obamanism is the term coined by the media to describe the feverish excitement many Obama supporters are experiencing in this primary elections. Many are calling it a movement to reawaken the dormant electorate. I found this piece written by political scientist Benjamin Barber in his blog, which attempts to diffuse the misrepresentation.
Obama is not a movement. He is only a candidate trying to get elected.
Movements outlast candidates and candidacies. Their leaders generally don’t even run for office — think Martin Luther King, Hugo Chavez, Benjamin Spock, and Betty Friedan; or Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh. Candidates may become attached to or embody a cause, but the cause comes first and the candidate is never himself (herself) the cause, any more than working to elect the candidate is the movement. Movements do not start in a candidacy or end in an election.
When Senator Obama calls for your engagement in the political and civic process, do you really think he means only as long as it’s about voting for him? About voting at all? If there is a movement attached to his cause, beyond making him the nominee, it is a movement to call on citizens to reassume the responsibilities and obligations of citizenship. To understand that the quality of our democracy depends less on the quality of leadership than the quality of citizenship
Obama is not a movement. He is only a candidate trying to get elected.
April 21, 2008
The Green Revolution
It is not surprising to see green collar jobs making its debut in an overwhelmingly changing global economy. They are the dot.com versions of a highly evolved, technology driven, renewable-energy and energy-efficient industry that could grow to as many as 40 million jobs by 2030, according to a report by the American Solar Energy Society. Whatever the reason for this green jobs evolution, i.e., switching careers for higher paychecks, acquiring and developing green skills or awakening an inner passion for saving Mother Earth, private industry is outperforming government in a sprinting race to save the Planet, and of course making plenty of money in the process.
As I strolled in to work this week, I caught up with work announcements calling for a greener work environment. I work in a government building in Capitol Hill, where the average employee is a middle class citizen, and gets its benefits, commute, childcare, and savings plan subsidized by an out-of-touched government. My husband on the other hand, works for an architectural design firm, where employees are encouraged to take mass transportation in an effort to be more socially conscious. In fact, industries like construction, finance and marketing are pioneering the movement towards a greener lifestyle, and this output has translated into half a dozen or so other industries following their lead.
But in my office, computers are not turned off, lights are on 24/7, and copy paper is a renewable resource. In fact, while many residential and office buildings across the US, including some government buildings, are going green; this turn of the century, vault of wisdom and American values institution, which has been retrofitted twice, still uses incandescent light bulbs, and recycles very little.
People like Al Gore, a private industry individual, have put global warming in the forefront of our public policies concern, but now it’s the government’s turn: The new tenant of the White House has to cast this government in a leadership role and turn this race into an economic advantageous pursuit as well as a humanitarian gain.
As I strolled in to work this week, I caught up with work announcements calling for a greener work environment. I work in a government building in Capitol Hill, where the average employee is a middle class citizen, and gets its benefits, commute, childcare, and savings plan subsidized by an out-of-touched government. My husband on the other hand, works for an architectural design firm, where employees are encouraged to take mass transportation in an effort to be more socially conscious. In fact, industries like construction, finance and marketing are pioneering the movement towards a greener lifestyle, and this output has translated into half a dozen or so other industries following their lead.
But in my office, computers are not turned off, lights are on 24/7, and copy paper is a renewable resource. In fact, while many residential and office buildings across the US, including some government buildings, are going green; this turn of the century, vault of wisdom and American values institution, which has been retrofitted twice, still uses incandescent light bulbs, and recycles very little.
People like Al Gore, a private industry individual, have put global warming in the forefront of our public policies concern, but now it’s the government’s turn: The new tenant of the White House has to cast this government in a leadership role and turn this race into an economic advantageous pursuit as well as a humanitarian gain.
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