I've decided to start doing Things I Love Thursday for 2 reasons: it forces me to post on Thursdays and I enjoy reading other people's "things I love Thursday" posts.
Peterbooke Dark Chocolate Toffee
So, yeah, this is my work but I never liked toffee before I had this and now it's my favorite thing we sell!
The current Senate in adorable form. It gets hard when you start trying to tell the white, gray-haired men apart but it's fun.
My new watch! I got the black one for Christmas and even though it's cheap (I told my mom I wanted one after seeing them for $12 at Hallmark), I love it! I haven't worn a watch in years and years but I'm obsessed with this one!
Cory Booker
This man is everything that is good about politics. He's been using twitter to help his constituents get out from under all the snow they've received in NJ while the Governor of NJ is vacationing in Disney (no joke).
And finally, Jason Mraz and Tristan Prettyman.
Years ago, these two put this song out. And they just got engaged! I feel like I know both of them (but obviously I don't) so I feel like my good friends are getting married! haha
As I posted previously, this week's Change Your Life challenge is "Ditch and Donate."
I try to periodically clean out my closet and reorganize and/or donate my clothes because I find that many of my things get pushed to the back of my closet and never worn. I cheated a bit on this challenge and starting the day after Christmas (it officially began the 27th) because I needed to put my gifts and the things I bought that day (I mostly got gift cards).
Let me also say that I dream about (and often read blogs about), being a minimalist. Right now I know that there is no way I have the will power for that but I hope that one day (maybe when I'm finally living on my own) I can manage it.
That said, I love this challenge and am glad for the push to do. I love seeing the blogs and tweets of other people involved.
The first thing I did was to go through my closet and pull out the things I never wear and know I will not be wearing any time soon. I found shirts and sweaters that I bought years ago that still had tags on them! Some of the clothes got moved to the front of my closet but most headed to Goodwill. I took a very large garbage bag over there this week.
I didn't even think to take pictures until I was in a rush and about to leave to drop the clothes off at my local Goodwill. As I previously posted, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to blog more and I'm learning things like "take pictures of everything you might blog about" are important rules in the blogging world!
A few days after I cleaned out my closest I decided to go through my boxes. Let me take a second to example that I am a bit of a packrat. I hate to throw out anything with any sentimental or emotional value so I have shoe box full of junk dating back to junior high. I finally forced myself to throw away the Christmas and Birthday cards that date back to 2006 (we're not talking about cards with nice, memorable messages or anything, just generic cards that say "Happy Birthday! Love, so and so." I also found a monstrous stack of movie stubs and concert tickets. The concert tickets went all the way back to my first concert (no joke, it was BBmak in 1999) and the movie tickets went back as far as 2001. Just about everything from those boxes when into the recycling bin or the trash can as they (clearly) had no real value to anyone but me.
I mentioned this when commenting on Monica's blog but I'm becoming increasingly concerned that I am only one serious emotional trauma away from being on "Hoarders." (And I'm only joking a little on that one.)
I also cleaned out my desk but found little to throw away there. That turned into more of a reorganization challenge!
My room still feels a little cluttered but I am planning to continue to clean things out every month or so to work on that issue!
An awesome post about a great way to manage shopping and sale emails without being tempted to buy things you don't need from Katie.
If anyone is still questioning why I adore Jimmy Carter, read this article.
Read Cory Booker's twitter feed to understand why we need more politicians like him. (Or watch "Street Fight," dude's a rockstar).
A cat puts on a bunny hat. Seriously. Just watch it.
We have a crisis of leadership in America because our overwhelming power and wealth, earned under earlier generations of leaders, made us complacent, and for too long we have been training leaders who only know how to keep the routine going. Who can answer questions, but don’t know how to ask them. Who can fulfill goals, but don’t know how to set them. Who think about how to get things done, but not whether they’re worth doing in the first place. What we have now are the greatest technocrats the world has ever seen, people who have been trained to be incredibly good at one specific thing, but who have no interest in anything beyond their area of exper tise. What we don’t have are leaders.
What we don’t have, in other words, are thinkers. People who can think for themselves. People who can formulate a new direction: for the country, for a corporation or a college, for the Army—a new way of doing things, a new way of looking at things. People, in other words, with vision.
Another awesome post from the Invisible Children blog.
I honestly cannot remember the last time I made a New Year's Resolution. I'm not a big New Year's girl (I usually just hang out with friends) and everyone I know who sets them usually breaks them within a few months.
All that said, I'm trying it out this year. I figured that with the big changes coming this year (hopefully I'll be moving and in a job after I graduate in April) it was time to give it a try.
My resolutions this year are:
1) Blog more (and with some regularity).
2) Say no more.
On that first point, I read blogs much more often than I write them and I'd like to change that. I want to improve my writing and I'm a big believer in practicing. I originally started this blog to post about political topics (and have done some of that) but my goal is to just post about everything and anything to get some practice. This semester will be crazy (school, my new internship, work, all these damn weddings) but I'm going to aim for updating at least twice a week.
The second resolution will no doubt be more difficult for me. I am one of those people who feels guilty about everything (thanks Catholic church!) and hates to tell people no. I always want to help people and make them happy and have a very hard timing not doing everything I am asked to do. Next month I will be starting my social welfare internship and I've heard again and again that the key to being an effective social worker is keeping yourself above water. I want to enjoy my last semester of undergrad while being productive and successful. I know that saying no when I am being stretched too thin means that I can be more productive and more helpful to others. The key will be figuring out the balance and getting rid of that silly guilt.
Anyone else making New Year's Resolutions?
After successfully completing the last challenge, it's time for the next one!
Who: YOU (and anyone else you want to encourage to participate!)
What: Get rid of AT LEAST 20 items that you own. Donate 10 and ditch (or throw away) another 10. Go for more if you want, but 20 is the minimum here, folks!
When: December 27th, 2010 through January 3rd, 2011
Why: Giving back is always important and meaningful to everyone involved, but this challenge begins right after the holidays. How many times do you get a slew of new gifts and realize you have no where to put them? This challenge will not only help you make room for your new goodies, but it will also encourage you to give back to those less fortunate who may not have gotten quite as many things for the holidays, if any.
Where: Your humble abode. Whether you're cleaning out your closet, dresser, pantry, that "everything" drawer you've got, your garage, it's gotta be something that you currently own but don't really need.
How: Go through your things throughout the week and figure out which items you own that you don't use or wear (or hell, maybe they don't even function anymore!) and set things aside. The challenge is come up with a minimum of 10 things that are still useable that you can donate to the less-fortunate and 10 things that aren't even worthy to be given away and belong in the trash. Obviously, this is the kind of challenge where "the more the merrier" and if you can come up with more items to donate or ditch, power to ya, we encourage it! But some of us may be a bit minimalist to begin with, so we decided to keep the minimum at 10.
Got questions about the "Change Your Life Challenge"?
Email changeyourlifechallenge@gmail.com with any questions or concerns you have.
Just the other day I was thinking I should clean out my closet before Christmas because I have so many things I don't wear or use. I did it a few months ago but I always find things that I don't need. If all goes according to plan next year, I'll be moving out of my parents' house in the Summer and there is no way I can take all of this stuff wherever I move into.
Anyway, I plan to do this (though I'll probably cheat a bit and work on it the day after Christmas because I have the day off) and everyone reading this blog should to! I plan to update more this time (the challenge last week fell during my finals, tons of work, and my cousin's wedding) both here on my blog and on twitter!
When I decided to do the Change Your Life Challenge I knew the first day would be the hardest. Not because it's the beginning but because Mondays are busy and long for me. I went with vegetarian because the vegan thing would be a lot more work during such a stressful week (my first final is coming up on Thursday).
I usually work 9-2, stop home for a bit then have class until 8:45 (which means I get home around 9:30). This typically means I eat nothing for breakfast, eat whatever junk I grab at lunch (especially during the busy holiday season), eat something little before class and end up picking up fast food after class.
I stopped at Publix on my way to work this morning (luckily I work right near one) and grabbed a few things. I picked up chocolate chip muffins (4 in the package, I shared with coworkers so I only have 1 left for tomorrow morning). I also grabbed a few lean cuisine meals that are veggie based.
Today I tried this one:
I liked it a lot but it wasn't very filling. Now I'm eating some tortellini with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
The big challenge will come when I'm hungry after leaving class tonight!
I very much want to use this blog regularly but I often feel at a loss about what to actually write about.
Thanks to some of the lovely ladies on twitter, I have a new reason to post.
Every month, the group of us will be doing a different week long challenge and blogging and/or tweeting about it.
First up,
Who: YOU (and anyone else you want to encourage to participate!)
What: Eat vegan or vegetarian (your choice), every meal for a full week (ahem...that's seven days, not five!)
When: November 29th, 2010 through December 6, 2010
Why: The idea is not only to challenge yourself to eat differently for a week, but also to use this time as a mini-detox from the Thanksgiving festivities.
Where: Anywhere and everywhere you eat!
If you are ready to participate in this challenge, then email changeyourlifechallenge@gmail.com and expect a challenge email update soon.
Got questions about the "Change Your Life Challenge"?
Email changeyourlifechallenge@gmail.com with any questions or concerns you have.
If you accept the challenge, post the challenge logo on your blog and encourage more people to scurry over here and sign up for the challenge, too!
(Text modified from M and/or J)
My biggest goal for this Summer was to read more. I have always loved to read but have found that since starting college, I have had little time to read during the school year or the Summers I've taken classes. I also have a lot of free time at work during the Summer so I figured increasing the amount I read would be easy. I have been reading, on average, 2 books a week. I have spent quite a bit of time at the Used Bookstore (in fact, I'm the mayor of it on Foursquare!) I've also used Bookmooch (a book trading site) extensively.
Despite my very full bookshelf, I often find myself frequenting book stores. Whenever I am in Mandarin, I make a point of stopping at Barnes and Noble. I've been interested in getting an e-reader for a while but had planned to wait and ask for one for Christmas. Then, a few weeks ago, I was in Barnes and Noble and saw that they were dropping the price of their e-reader, Nook, and releasing a wifi only version (as opposed to their wifi and 3G version). I played a little with the display model in the store (not for the first time) and started to think I might just buy myself one now, rather than wait for Christmas.
Sure enough, I decided to order the Nook later that day. I was beyond anxious for it to arrive and I'm sure I drove everyone crazy talking about it! By the time my Nook had arrived I had already set up Calibre (a fantastic program for organizing non B&N ebooks) and filled it with books. I received my Nook last Thursday night. I flew through a few books within the first few days.
The Nook is perfect for taking to work. The size is perfect, it fits in just about any purse and doesn't take up much room. I love the inclusion of the internet browser, even though that was just an extra to me in buying it. I also have found myself using the soduku more often than I thought I would. The Nook is great for people who like to read more than one book at a time because it will remember the last page you read in every book.
Some resources for Nook owners:
Nook on Twitter
InkMesh (a great search engine to compare pricing)
Mobile Reads Nook Forum
Nook Look (this site has backgrounds and wallpapers to download)
NookBoards Forum
Free online book sites (mostly older books, as they are now in the public domain)
Readprint
The Online Books Page
Mobile Read
Project Gutenberg
I'm internetless while dog/housesitting so I figured I'd do one of these posts while I have internet access and get it all off my chest.
First up, the view from "my" office at my internship! It was really rainy yesterday and the blinds were down but here we go:
And, now on to the links....
A few links related to the Summit Series that went on in DC this past weekend(which I posted about here):
10 Big Ideas from Summit Series
DC10 Has Arrived by Sean Carasso, the founder of Falling Whistles
A few tv/movie related articles:
Where Are the Women Comedy Writers on Late-Night TV?
Geena Davis' research on women in film and television (PDF) (hint: It's not good for the ladies)
And last, but certainly not least, Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks' new show premieres tomorrow night on FOX!
Another great post from Ben Casnocha: 50 Ways to Expose Yourself to Randomness.
So, I'm watching this funny little ImprovEverywhere video and, just as I'm about to close the page, I see my cousin! I called my mom and I'm pretty sure she thought I was crazy but she watched it too and said it must be her. Weird moment of the day.
From Politico:
Founder Elliott Bisnow, a 24-year-old Washington native and mastermind behind the Bisnow newsletters — which provide city-specific business news via e-mail — aims to gather some of the world’s top entrepreneurs and CEOs to, well, talk and have fun.
“The biggest difference between Summit Series and anything else — the biggest take-away,” said Bisnow, “is it’s all about friendship and fun and shared experience.” The Summit grew from a small skiing trip a couple years back, which he started simply by cold-calling up-and-coming CEOs.
“It’s all about collectivism, ‘how can I help you?’” Summit Series’ co-founder Jeff Rosenthal added.
The twice-yearly conference will draw 750 attendees and take place Thursday through Sunday at the JW Marriott. Various business leaders (and famous faces) will lead discussions on subjects ranging from relief work in Haiti to grass-roots fundraising to the power of storytelling to start-up investing. Attendees include musician John Legend, President Bill Clinton, Ted Turner, model Christy Turlington Burns, actress Kristen Bell, fashion designer Marc Ecko, the cast of MTV’s “The Buried Life" (sharing their stories at 1:30 a.m., another example of why this isn’t your typical business conference) and six NASA astronauts.
The official site
I LOVE this idea and have already been following the hastags on twitter: #summitseries and #DC10
I really enjoy listening to and learning about social entrepreneurs and this seems the perfect chance to do that. Tickets cost $3,500 and are invite only so it will be a long time before I can attend one of these events (this and TED are on my dream events list) but the idea is one I can't stop thinking about. Just today I was thinking about what a great experience How It Ends was last Summer and how much I enjoy the networking aspect of these events. I will actually be heading to Tampa after work tomorrow for the Florida Young Democrats convention and am excited to meet like minded Floridians!
Tonight I grabbed the newest issue of Folio Weekly and came across an article written by Julie Delegal so, instead of packing for this weekend's Florida Young Democrats convention, I decided to blog.
I thought Delegal's article on HB 1143 was right on and thought I would share some of it (I can't seem to find it online so I'm typing this from the May 11-17th issue of Folio Weekly).
"Crist has hundreds of thousands of reasons to veto HB 1143: hundreds of thousands of walking, breathing adult female Floridians whose party affiliations don't enter into the calculus of their private reproductive decisions. Retired columnist Ellen Goodman has written that one in three American women, between the ages of 18 and 40, have made the difficult decision to have an abortion. I'll venture to say that they didn't pull out their voter registration cards to do so, but they may need to pull them out at the polls this fall to keep their private reproductive decisions private."
"It's as if patients would have 160, mostly male, Florida lawmakers right there with them in their doctor's office, not only in the examination rooms, but in the accounting departments, too: HB 1143, if signed, would forbid companies that receive tax credits from offering employee health insurance plans that include abortion coverage."
"And if we open the door on OB/GYN visits, parity would demand we create a Viagra bill. If passed and signed by the Governor, the Viagra bill would require any man seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction to view (and pay for!) a video that follows a young sperm cell on its journey to babyhood. Conservatives love to blame the "breakdown of the traditional family" as the root of all societal evils, excepting those evils brought on by having to pay taxes, of course. But over the past few generations, we've witnessed the meteoric rise of the single-parent family. And notably, by and large, we're not talking about single father households. Women are already quite aware of the consequences of bringing children into the world, which is why they don't need to view (and pay for!) state-mandated ultrasounds to help them make their private decisions."
"But my Viagra bill would also include a stipulation analogous to the Stupak amendment to the national health care plan. Under Stupak, women who want abortion coverage as part of their medical insurance, whether subsidized by the federal government or not, must write an additional check for a separate abortion-coverage policy. Similarly, with my Viagra bill, those gentlemen who want to ensure continued function in their root delivery systems would simply write a check for the "Viagra rider." Sure, their employers would not about it. Privacy, schmivacy."
"But much like the oil spurting uncontrollably from beneath the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico, political pandering on reproductive issues has irretrievably polluted our process, and threatens to creep its slime more broadly, more insidiously and more damagingly than ever before....If we're going to have sensible leadership in the U.S. Senate, and if we want to keep the insidious spread of right-wing pandering out of the Governor's mansion, we'd better get cracking."
All that said, there is almost nothing that can get me to vote for Crist in November. I have emailed and called his office quite a few times regarding the bill but, at this point, what he does is totally unpredictable.
Meghan McCain and I disagree on about 99% of political issues but I have a lot of respect for her. I enjoyed reading her blog during the campaign and getting that behind the scenes perspective. I follow her on twitter and am bothered by the ridiculous attacks on her. But this column she wrote recently explains exactly why I like her so much:
Why I Hate the Politics of Hate
A few excerpts:
"Lately I’ve felt that the anger in politics is spilling over from the expected places—protests, partisan websites, talk radio—into everyday lives. The lines of social acceptability and just plain courteous behavior are becoming harder to define when it comes to politics, and for the first time in a long time I am truly concerned about where this fear and frustration in politics is taking us."
"I understand a certain amount of partisan pettiness, but what I don’t understand is why both politicians and pundits are not more vested in the next generation, in my generation, and the cultural and political climate they are leaving behind. It’s almost as if to be taken seriously in politics, a certain level of anger and incivility is required. I am not saying I am not angry about many things that are going on in this country, but I do believe we can discuss our differences with respect."
"This extremist shift is happening all over the country, and I can’t help think about the toll it is taking on the next generation of voters. For the first time in my life, I find myself disillusioned with the political process—something I always swore would never happen to me. And I am not ashamed to admit that this small feeling of disillusionment is scaring me. Because if this is how I feel from all of the rancor, I can only imagine how disconnected the rest of my generation must feel. If politicians aren’t inspiring people when they are young, what hope is there that they will care when they are older?"
Thank you Meghan McCain. Now if you could just convince your dad to change his positions on a few things....
I was just alerted (via twitter of course) of a fantastic chance to make a difference using just a few minutes of your time.
Simply go to this blog post and leave a comment answering this question: What book has had the greatest impact on your life?
For each answer (up to 1,000) a book will be donated to children without easy access to books. If you have a blog, blog about the contest and post a link and another book will be donated!
I'm a reader and reading has been a major part of my life for a long time so I love this idea.
PS-I picked "Charlotte's Web" as the book with the greatest impact on my life. It was the first book (well, real chapter book at least) I read all by myself!
I finished reading "You've Come a Long Way, Maybe: Sarah, Michelle, Hillary, and the Shaping of the New American Woman" today. I wrote a short review on GoodReads here.
This is pretty cool. These language courses were developed by the United States government and are now in the public domain. Great resource.
The First Lady's first tweet (via Ed Henry)
As always, my imaginary boyfriend Nick Kristof hits it out of the park again.
As I’ve noted before, there seem to be two Catholic Churches, the old boys’ club of the Vatican and the grass-roots network of humble priests, nuns and laity in places like Sudan. The Vatican certainly supports many charitable efforts, and some bishops and cardinals are exemplary, but overwhelmingly it’s at the grass roots that I find the great soul of the Catholic Church.
Transcript of Obama’s Remarks at U. Mich. Commencement
Another great speech from POTUS and Jon Favreau. My favorite parts:
The fact is, when you leave here today you will search for work in an economy that is still emerging from the worst crisis since the Great Depression. You live in a century where the speed with which jobs and industries move across the globe is forcing America to compete like never before. You will raise your children at a time when threats like terrorism and climate change aren’t confined within the borders of any one country. And as our world grows smaller and more connected, you will live and work with more people who don’t look like you or think like you or come from where you do.
On the fourth panel of the Jefferson Memorial is a quote I remember reading to my daughters during our first visit there. It says, “I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but…with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times.
When our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening foreign entity, it ignores the fact that in our democracy, government is us. We, the people — (applause.) We, the people, hold in our hands the power to choose our leaders and change our laws, and shape our own destiny.
Government is the police officers who are protecting our communities, and the servicemen and women who are defending us abroad. (Applause.) Government is the roads you drove in on and the speed limits that kept you safe. Government is what ensures that mines adhere to safety standards and that oil spills are cleaned up by the companies that caused them. (Applause.) Government is this extraordinary public university -– a place that’s doing lifesaving research, and catalyzing economic growth, and graduating students who will change the world around them in ways big and small. (Applause.)
...government shouldn’t try to dictate your lives. But it should give you the tools you need to succeed. Government shouldn’t try to guarantee results, but it should guarantee a shot at opportunity for every American who’s willing to work hard. (Applause.)
Don’t narrow that broad intellectual exposure just because you’re leaving here. Instead, seek to expand it. If you grew up in a big city, spend some time with somebody who grew up in a rural town. If you find yourself only hanging around with people of your own race or ethnicity or religion, include people in your circle who have different backgrounds and life experiences. You’ll learn what it’s like to walk in somebody else’s shoes, and in the process, you will help to make this democracy work. (Applause.)
Here’s the point. When we don’t pay close attention to the decisions made by our leaders, when we fail to educate ourselves about the major issues of the day, when we choose not to make our voices and opinions heard, that’s when democracy breaks down. That’s when power is abused. That’s when the most extreme voices in our society fill the void that we leave. That’s when powerful interests and their lobbyists are most able to buy access and influence in the corridors of power –- because none of us are there to speak up and stop them.
What is certain -– what has always been certain -– is the ability to shape that destiny. That is what makes us different. That is what sets us apart. That is what makes us Americans -– our ability at the end of the day to look past all of our differences and all of our disagreements and still forge a common future. That task is now in your hands, as is the answer to the question posed at this university half a century ago about whether a free society can still compete.
I've decided (in an effort to blog more) that I'm going to do posts like this regularly (thanks @katelinnea for the idea!). I figure I'll just post article/sites I've found interesting recently.
House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passes LRA/Uganda bill
Yay! The last step is a full vote of the House. I can't believe it's almost been a year since How It Ends.
"Make A Difference" flyer
I love this, such a great idea.
Nice article on the FL Senate race with the advantages and challenges for each candidate from the NY Times.
This site lets you pick a word or activity or whatever and makes a playlist according to it. I haven't used it extensively but I like the idea.
Nice list of spring cleaning tools for your twitter from Mashable. I found it very helpful although I need to find an efficient way to go through the ridiculous number of people I follow and clean it out.
"Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black" - Tim Wise Really interesting article, I just finished my racial and cultural minorities class and Tim Wise's articles actually helped me understand the concepts of the class better.
Online advocacy wilts into slacktivism: Experts Not much to say beyond the fact that I'm not surprised.
And a funny video that explains why I hate the news:
Friday morning was another early day. We were on the bus to head to Langley before 7am. When we arrived we went through their (very thorough) security. After that we headed inside. I managed to forget the thank you treats we brought with us and rode in a CIA police car to get them. After that we had our meeting with Mike Ard, National Intelligence Officer for the Western Hemisphere. After that we visited their museum which contains artifacts from all different time periods (the war in Afghanistan had a very large section, for example). I have no pictures at the CIA because we could not even bring cameras into the building.
After leaving the CIA we headed back to downtown DC for the rest of the day. We had lunch on the bus and took a group picture in front of the White House (I'm squinting in every version I've seen):
We spent most of our day on Friday at the Inter-American Dialogue, a major think tank on Latin America. Our first meeting there was with four diplomats from the Brazilian embassy. This was probably the most interesting meeting we held the whole trip. We realized pretty quickly we probably should have tweaked our paper to remove more of the American bias before we handed it to the Brazilians. They had lots of tough questions and, honestly, we couldn't answer all of them. It was a pretty lengthy meeting but they provided us cookies and coffee before the next one which was nice. After that meeting we met with Peter Hakim, an expert on Brazil who runs the Inter-American Dialogue. This meeting was pretty laid back and he had lots of insights on Brazil and our paper.
After leaving the Inter-American Dialogue, we headed to the Hill to meet with the staff on one of our Senators. Senator Nelson's office is in the Hart building and as we walked in we passed Claire McCaskill's (one of my favorite senators) office (I also saw on the board that Sen. Feingold and Sen. Franken appear to have offices very close to each other which made me happy). Of course, Congress was in recess so we were not able to meet with our Senator but we did meet with his legislative correspondent for foreign and military issues, Yariv Pierce. He was so young he looked like part of our class. Another interesting thing about this meeting is the fact that two UNF students are currently interning at Sen. Nelson's office. The office looked like a NASA museum, there were pictures and models of space shuttles everywhere (Sen. Nelson was an astronaut, fyi). Our meeting went well, this one was similar to the meeting with the member of the NSC because he asked question that related to the way he writes memos for his boss.
Me with Senator Nelson:
After leaving Senator Nelson's office we drove to a few of the monuments and walked around. It was cold so we didn't take much time. We had Ethiopian food for dinner in Adams Morgan and two of my friends from my internship last year (one of whom went to UNF) joined us. Shannon (my roommate) and I were exhausted so we headed back to the hotel and went to bed. The next morning we took our time getting up and checking out then headed out for some sightseeing. It was incredibly busy all over the mall, as the Cherry Blossom parade was just ending when we got there. We spent some time at the Natural History Museum and the Air and Space Museum before Shannon and Tejas (another classmate who went with us) had to head to the airport. At that point I went and got my stuff and headed to where I was saying (with my friend Kari in Silver Spring, MD). Kari and were roommates last year when we were interning and now she is a social worker in Maryland. One of our other former roommates is in grad school at Galludat and came over for game night. We had a nice time and got to bed because we were planning a day trip to Annapolis the next day.
Sunday's weather was perfect for Annapolis. We walked around on the water, did a little shopping (I finally got sunglasses so I wasn't constantly squinting), had lunch (at a restaurant that had been on Man vs. Food and where John McCain had eaten during the campaign), and walked around the Naval Academy. It was a really beautiful day.
Boats:
My (ex)roommate Kari and I squinting in the sun:
Now I'm seating in Reagan National writing this and waiting for my flight. I always hate leaving DC and this time is no different. While I was here I found out I did not get the Summer internship at the White House that I applied for. I'm upset but I know it's for the best. I just keep telling myself that everything will work out. There is a reason I did not get the internship, just like there is a reason I can't graduate until Spring of next year. I just have to figure out what that reason is.
Update: Right after writing this, as I was coming out of the bathroom I saw Nancy Pelosi! All of the sudden I heard someone say "Madam Speaker!" and when I turned around, there she was (full pantsuit and everything). To me her height was more surprising then the fact she was flying commercial! She was at most, my height (5'2").
Also, one of my classmates managed to get a picture of our little run in with David Gergen (sort of). He's the one at the top (red tie) and I'm just to the right of the girl with the green bag (I was basically wearing all black so it's hard to see):
It's now 10:03 and I am finally back in my hotel room. We got up at 6am this morning so our bus could leave exactly at 7am. First we visited the Pentagon. When I toured the Pentagon through TWC we got a standard issue tour. One of my professor's friends gave us a mini-tour ( a little different from the standard tour, we even got to visit “The Tank” where the Joint Chiefs of Staff hold meetings) and also told us at the beginning of the tour that he would have to leave at some point because he had to brief members of Congress on the new defense treaty that Admiral Mullen will be signing on Monday. The timing for our topic could not have been any better. The first group presented their ideas to Paul Stockton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' security affairs. He was very receptive to our ideas and said many were in the beginning stages of development.
After leaving the Pentagon, we headed to the State Department. We arrived late because our Pentagon tour ran over but were able to join the 8th floor tour in progress. After that tour we headed to our meeting. I was presenting in this meeting to Deputy Assistant Secretary Chris McMullen and the United States Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS). The meeting went well and we were also joined by a man who works at the State Department in refugee issues and is originally from Jacksonville (Secretary McMullen always went to Jacksonville University for a year). I really enjoyed being able to discuss refugee issues, as they are something I feel very strongly about. The discussion and presentation went well and we also got to see a good portion of the building. To be honest., I found most of the building to be very unappealing (lots of plain white halls) but enjoyed the experience.
The 8th floor of the State Department: 
After the State Department we visited Office of American States. It was an incredibly beautiful building and I learned a lot about the organization, something I didn't know much about before that trip. There we meet with the Brazil Ambassador to the OAS and a few staff members. The best part of this was learning about the “peace tree.” When we first came in, our tour guide pointed to a picture near the door. The OAS is about to celebrate its 100 birthday and when it first opened President Taft gifted them a peace tree. They are asking for President Obama to come to their 100th anniversary gala to plant another tree (we actually mentioned this to the member of the NSC we met later that day).
The outside of the OAS:
Meeting table at the OAS:
The original peace tree (it was maybe 4 feet tall when President Taft planted it):
After our tour and presentation at the OAS, we walked across the street to our meeting at the Old Executive Office Building (OEOB). As we came through security, my professor pulled three names from a bag to decide who got to go with her to a tv interview she was taping that evening. I did not get picked but my roommate did. As we headed up stairs for our meeting all of the sudden I hear my professor say “Oh, David! How are you?” I looked up and saw she was hugging David Gergen. I'm still pretty shocked he was just wandering the halls but I was excited (and the teasing for that has been constant). We met with Luis Rossello, the director for the Southern Cone at the National Security Council and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs: Dan Restrepo. This meeting was a great learning experience. Both men explained what points could be expanded, what was logical, etc. They did a great job explaining exactly the questions we should be asking ourselves when writing a paper like and the questions he has to answer when he wants to bring an issue to his boss. This was, without a doubt one of the best meetings we had.
My EEOB pass:
After that meeting (our final for the day), we split up. A few members of the group headed to Ambassador Soderberg's interview while the rest of us visited the Kennedy Center. Because we were running late we missed the free performance but walked around and took it all in. Following that, we all meet up at dinner. We ate a very tasty Peruvian restaurant (El Chalan on 19th and I). It was deliciously and a great way to end the night. Shannon and I went right to our room and to sleep.
If you have any interest in the (quite lengthy) paper our class wrote and is presenting over the next few days, here it is. My goal is to blog after each day of meetings so I have some sort of record of how things went.
MEMO TO: The Obama Administration
FROM: University of North Florida “Real World” Political Science Class
DATE: April 7, 2010
RE: Strengthening US - Brazil Engagement
Brazil is increasingly important to the U.S., not only in terms of economic prosperity but also in meeting the myriad international challenges we face -- global warming, infectious diseases, terrorism, narcotics trafficking, reducing trade barriers, and the global financial crisis. While the U.S. has tended to look east and west, it is time to look south and forge a new partnership with the fastest growing economy in this hemisphere -- Brazil.
Ranked among the top ten world economies and the sixth largest population, Brazil has arrived on the global stage as a major player. Recently discovered oil deposits will only strengthen that position. While still a country struggling with poverty, corruption, crime, and social inequalities, its recent governments - both former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva -- have made real progress in addressing these challenges with visionary and responsible leadership.
A major participant in Haiti and other peacekeeping operations, an aspirant for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, a leader not only in Latin America but also in the G-20, Brazil is poised to be a world political leader. Host to the World Cup in 2014 and Olympics in 2016, Brazil will be increasingly in the limelight. In recognition of the growing importance of Brazil, the Obama administration is intensifying U.S.-Brazil engagement, with a State Visit by President Lula in 2009, a visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in March, and an upcoming visit by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in mid-April. Handled right, the U.S.-Brazil relationship can enhance opportunities to advance US interests in trade, investment, counternarcotics, anti-terrorism issues, and expanding a political partnership to promote our shared interests.
With an estimated population of nearly 200 million, half of which is in the work force, Brazil provides great opportunities to enhance the prosperity of both our countries. USAID currently provides fund in five areas: (1) the deforestation and protection of biodiversity, (2) reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, increased employment for youth, (3) HIV/AIDS prevention, (4) the establishment of free trade and (5) small to medium size enterprise development. Further expansion of trade agreements is hampered by the current WTO dispute over cotton and U.S. ethanol subsidies. The Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC-Agência Brasileira de Cooperação) of the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are the point of focus for this cooperation.
Our two governments also have a major disagreement over how to address Iran’s effort to acquire a nuclear weapon, with Brazil refusing to pressure Iran to abandon its quest or to support international sanctions. The history of U.S. activities in Latin America and Brazil’s strong nationalistic politics means we require a sophisticated approach to the bilateral relationship. We offer four areas in which to strengthen U.S.-Brazil engagement and advance our joint interests.
I. Enhanced bi-lateral US-Brazil Engagement: Establish a U.S.-Brazil Strategic, Economic, and Military Dialogue, expanding on the model currently used with China. The Dialogue would promote business, trade, transnational threats of nonproliferation and terrorism, peacekeeping, and help to better manage bilateral disagreements, such as Iran. It would vastly expand on the CEO Forum by engaging on a regular basis a broad range of cabinet officials in deepening and widening U.S.-Brazil relations. One of the goals of the enhanced engagement would be a U.S.-Brazil Bilateral Investment Treaty. As part of this enhanced engagement, President Obama should reciprocate President Lula’s DC visit by visiting Brazil this summer.
II. Updated International architecture/Transparency: The U.S. should recognize the growing importance of Brazil and endorse formally its candidacy for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. In recognition of the growing importance of the G20, the U.S. should propose at the G20 meeting in Canada this June that the G-8 be formally disbanded over the next ten years. While being phased out, all G8 meeting should be partnered with a G8+5 (or G13) and G20 meeting to underscore the importance of the developing countries. The U.S. should also propose a new initiative on transparency, chaired by Brazil, to encourage best practices and open reporting on investment in strategic resources, as well as all military sales and bases in the hemisphere. Such transparency would help assuage Brazil’s concern over U.S. activities in Colombia. Such a step will build confidence not only in U.S.-Brazil relations but also throughout the hemisphere.
III. Regional Center of Excellence (RCE): The US should propose a regional Center of Excellence be established in Brazil to train regional security and judicial forces in peacekeeping, policing, judiciary, and forestry. Based on UN best practices and doctrine, the RCE would be run by the OAS. Eventually, the system would be global, with other RCS’s located in the world’s main regions of Asia, Africa, and Europe.
IV. EPECC: The U.S. and Brazil should build upon their 2007 MOU by forming an OPEC type of group for ethanol producers, the “Ethanol Producing and Exporting Countries Consortium” (EPECC). EPECC’s objectives will be to ensure stable and fair prices for ethanol producers, expand the market for ethanol, and ensure a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry.
Enhanced Bilateral US-Brazil Engagement
Brazil has become progressively more involved in both regional and global affairs, helping to stabilize troubled regions and leading UN peacekeeping missions in places like Haiti. It is in the best interest of the United States to ensure that U.S. plans for the region work effectively alongside Brazilian plans for the region, as it has the largest economy in South America. Brazil is growing at a quick pace, and many U.S. companies view Brazilian companies as an appealing place for investment. Suspicion is high among many Brazilians over past U.S. policies, including the more recent invasion of Iraq and other Middle East policies, U.S. policy toward Colombia, and the banning of Bolivian textile imports to the U.S.. The United States and Brazil do not always see eye to eye on all issues, but deeper engagement would enable progress on many areas.
Establish a U.S.-Brazil Strategic, Economic, and Military Dialogue
The US has in recent years expanded its engagement with Brazil, including with the Economic Partnership Dialogue between the Minister of External Relations and the U.S. Secretary of State but deeper engagement is required, perhaps modeled on our Dialogue with China. In recognition of the myriad interests between the U.S. and China, in 2006 President Bush initiated the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, involving regular visits between senior State Department officials and the Secretary of the Treasury. Hosted by Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the first joint meeting of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue was held in Washington, D.C. from July 27-28, 2009. Such a forum underscores the growing influence of China in a range of issues and fosters better cooperation on issues and a similar group could foster better U.S.-Brazil cooperation.
Earlier this year, Secretary of State Clinton visited Brazil to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which increases cooperation between the U.S. and Brazil on issues pertaining to technology, climate change and the advancement of women’s rights. A more formalized Dialogue would provide a broader framework for further engagement and help ameliorate areas of disagreement, such Brazil’s ongoing support for Iran in direct contrast to U.S. policy. It would also vastly expand on the CEO Forum by engaging on a regular basis a broad range of cabinet officials in deepening and widening US-Brazil relations. Given the importance of Brazil’s role in peacekeeping, the China model should be expanded to include a Dialogue between our Secrataries of Defense.
Recommendation: Establish a U.S.-Brazil Strategic, Economic, and Military Dialogue. The Dialogue would promote business, trade, transnational threats of nonproliferation and terrorism, peacekeeping, and help to better manage bilateral disagreements, such as Iran. It would involve annual meetings of State, Treasury, and Defense Cabinet Secretaries, with lower level meeting occurring regularly during the year.
US-Brazil Bilateral Investment Treaty
Despite the importance of foreign investment in Brazil, it is not a party to any bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and has not ratified the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Convention. ICSID is an autonomous international institution established under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States, with over 140 member states. Brazil is reluctant to bind itself to such agreements because of the legal uncertainty regarding whether ratification of such agreements is prohibited under Brazilian law on grounds that it impedes the sovereign right of the state. However, given Brazil’s growing economic strength, it is time for it to join ICSID. As the U.S. supports the growing role of Brazil in the international arena, it should encourage more engagement in such agreements, bilaterally and in the G13 and G20. A good place to start is with a bilateral investment treaty.
Recommendation: The U.S. and Brazil should seek to negotiate a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). The BIT will help protect private investment, develop market-oriented policies in partnering countries, and promote exports in other industries.
Obama Visit to Brazil
In March 2009, President Lula visited Washington to strengthen bilateral relations, discuss the agenda for the meeting of Summit of the Americas last April, and review how the G-20 could best combat the financial crisis. President Obama promised a reciprocal visit, but none is currently scheduled. The U.S. has a tradition of meeting early in any new administration with the leaders of Mexico and Canada. An early meeting with Brazil should now be added to that practice. Since the new Brazilian administration will be elected in October, it would be prudent to conduct the first meeting this summer. That would establish a precedent for the meetings to continue with the new administration.
Recommendation: President Obama should visit Brazil this summer, well in advance of the presidential elections in October in Brazil. The U.S. should add Brazil to the list of meeting held early on for new U.S. presidents.
II. Updated International Architecture/Transparency
Endorse Brazil Seat on Security Council
Simply put, Brazil has earned a seat on the UN Security Council. It now clearly meets our own criteria that new permanent members have the economic size, population, military capacity, commitment to democracy and human rights, sufficient financial contributions to the UN, contributions to UN peacekeeping, and a strong record on counterterrorism and nonproliferation that reflect its global importance. Brazil has already served nine terms as an elected member of the Security Council.
When the UN last seriously addressed the issue in 2005, there was initial agreement that Germany, Japan, India, and Brazil would gain a permanent Security Council seat but agreement was never reached on how best to allocate the allotted 2 seats for Africa and the veto. Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt were all leading candidates and African nations, in general, opposed joining the Council so long as the P-5 maintained its exclusive rights to the veto. To date, the U.S. has only formally endorsed the candidacy of Japan.
Recommendation: It is time the U.S. formally endorse Brazil, as well as Germany and Italy for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. It should also initiate a new effort at the UN to secure expansion of the Council, perhaps by agreeing on a separate seat for an Arab nation, with Africa receiving two seats. Providing 7 additional permanent seats to the UN Security Council would not significantly hamper its effectiveness. With the 10 elected seats, the total membership would be 22, from the current 15. The contentious issue of the veto and whether the EU and AU should evolve into assuming the region’s permanent seat should be discussed after the new Council has been in place for ten years.
Phase Out G8/G13 and Focus on G20
The G8, which includes the United States, Russia, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada, has been the most influential forum for the world’s leading economies to discuss major international affairs. In recognition of the growing influence of the developing world, the G8 regularly meets with the “Outreach 5” (O5), which was formed in 2005. The group consists of Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa, the top developing economies. In 2006, the G8+5 formed the Climate Change Dialog to collaborate on environmental issues. Although a permanent relationship was formed between the two groups in 2007, the G8+5 have met only rarely.
The G20 has traditionally only been a meeting place for the top 19 countries and the European Union to discuss financial matters. However, at the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh last September, it was decided that the G20 would become the official body in charge of international economic collaboration. As a result, the G8 will now cover issues mostly pertaining to international security topics such as nuclear non-proliferation and counternarcotics measures. But the gatherings are increasingly resented by those not included. The United Kingdom and France have each independently supported of the integration of the O5 to the G8 (a new G13). However, the United States and Japan argue that officially enlarging the group will decrease its effectiveness and defeat the purpose of the larger G20.
Recommendation: One way to minimize frustration would be to agree to phase out over 10 years the G8 and G8+5 meetings, leaving the G20 as the key forum for discussions. During that time, the G8 and G8+5 would each meet preceding any G20 meeting. In order to address the concerns of the US and Japan on effectiveness, the G20 would form subcommittees on the key issues of concern, thus limiting the discussions to a manageable size. The US should support holding the G20 in Brazil as soon as possible.
Transparency Initiative in the global investment and financial system
When the world’s largest economies - the G20 - meet in Toronto on June 26-27, 2010 they will have an unprecedented opportunity to institute changes to create a transparent global financial system that is open, accountable, fair and beneficial for all. Corruption is widespread not only in Brazil but also across Latin America. Of particular concern is the lack of transparency in the oil industry. For instance, China’s state run China Development Bank signed a $10 billion agreement with the Brazilian government and Petrobras, exchanging financing for 150,000-200,000 barrels of crude oil per day for the next 10 years. On February 1, 2010 Royal Dutch Shell invested $21 billion in Cosan to make the largest biofuels joint venture in the world. The US would benefit from increased engagement in the oil industry in Brazil, which is very stable compared to the other sources of our oil such as Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. A new effort to make public the investment decisions will help reduce corrupt practices in the region and open the region to fairer competition. Illicit outflows of capital from developing countries are a severe drain on their development potentials. Such an initiative would assist in poverty alleviation and economic development.
Recommendation: The US should work with Brazil to propose at the G20 summit in June a new initiative on transparency. All foreign investment must be reported to the G20 and the International Accounting Standards Board on an annual basis, including multinational corporation and state-owned corporations. Each must also report their income and taxes paid on a country-by-country basis. The ownership of all companies, trusts, foundations, and charities must also be reported.
III. Regional Center of Excellence (RCE)
Brazil faces many challenges in developing effective forces to address its challenges in policing, the judiciary, forestry protection, and peacekeeping.
Police and judiciary
Brazil is one of the many Latin American countries with corruption on all levels of police and the criminal justice system. Homicide rates are at an all-time high and Brazil faces extra-judicial murders. Its criminal system is underfunded and many of the accused lack aspects of a fair trial, such as a thorough investigation. In many cases, people who are arrested are held in jail for years without any trial. The jails in Brazil are much more corrupt than the U.S. jails, and trafficking and prisoner abuse are very common. Brazil regularly faces riots. Drug trafficking, trafficking of children, and forced labor are common. Brazil and other countries in the region could benefit greatly from increased police and judicial training.
Forestry Protection
A major problem is Brazil’s continued environmental challenges and the ongoing deforestation of the Amazon Rain Forest. The importance of the Amazon Rainforest cannot be understated, as it accounts for one of the largest sources of fresh water and zoological diversity on the Earth. Continued deforestation occurs due to a myriad of factors, most of which are economic. In 2007 alone, almost 3200 square kilometers (sq km) of Amazon Rainforest was lost to deforestation and logging, and the number of square kilometers lost continues to grow. The continued escalation of market prices for agricultural products is the primary economic factor, but the demands for timber and grazing land have also had an impact. Conflicts between powerful ranchers and poor farmers over land rights have led to 1,200 murders across Brazil in the last 20 years. A top activist for land reform in Brazil's Amazon was recently murdered, hours after a delay in the trial of a man accused of masterminding the slaying of another rain forest activist, an American nun named Dorothy Stang, who was shot and killed in 2005 in the notoriously violent Para state.
The Lula administration has attempted to put in place policies to help farmers work the land they already have. In addition to farming best practices, some of the programs the government in Brasilia has established include: setting aside land as natural habitats and wildlife reserves, installing sensors and monitoring stations throughout the Amazonian borders to catch illegal logging, and increasing the number of military and police patrols in the Amazon regions. Yet, these efforts are insufficient to meet the challenge of protecting the vast Amazon.
Peacekeeping
Brazil has consistently contributed to UN peacekeeping across the globe, including in the Middle East, the Belgian Congo, Cyprus, Mozambique, Angola, East Timor, and Haiti (where Brazil is currently the largest contributor of peacekeeping troops). As such, Brazil is well placed to lead an international effort to train and equip other regional forces in peacekeeping. Currently, each country involved in these peacekeeping missions currently trains its own soldiers, without standard UN doctrines and the benefit of best practices.
Recommendation: The U.S. should encourage the formation of Regional Centers of Excellence (RCE) for training through the UN in the areas of peacekeeping, policing, judiciary, and forestry management. Brazil should host the RCE that would service the Western Hemisphere. The UN should develop a standard doctrine and best practices that would eventually be used in RCEs worldwide. The Department of Defense could help develop training modules and help monitor compliance of standards.
IV. Establish Ethanol Producing and Exporting Countries Consortium (EPECC)
The U.S. and Brazil, the world’s two largest ethanol producing countries, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2007 to “promote greater cooperation on ethanol and biofuels in the Western Hemisphere. The agreement involves: (1) technology sharing between the United States and Brazil; (2) feasibility studies and technical assistance to build domestic biofuels industries in third party countries; and, (3) multilateral efforts to advance the global development of biofuels.” Both countries have moved forward on all three points. The MOU to date has produced positive results in the Caribbean and Central American countries and is expected to begin soon in African countries.
However, a thorny problem exists in the form of the U.S. tariff on Brazilian ethanol and US subsidies of its own ethanol industry. The U.S. government subsidizes the corn ethanol industries with over $7 billion in subsidies, which translates to 73 percent of all U.S. renewable energy tax breaks. The U.S. also imposes a 2.5 % ad valorem and a 54 cent per gallon tax on ethanol, effectively placing a 30% tariff on imported Brazilian ethanol. President Lula has made no secret of Brazil’s desire to have that tariff reduced or eliminated. Brazil’s ethanol industry is not subsidized by its national government. In a signal of growing competition in the market, China recently lowered its Brazilian ethanol tariffs from 30 percent to 5 percent, which opens that market to Brazil.
Corn based ethanol, however, is increasingly viewed as too expensive and a significant source of carbon emissions, especially when compared to sugar or other non-corn based sources, such as the new generation of biofuels involving cellulosic ethanol made from algae, grasses, and non-edible plant material. Demand for ethanol in the U.S. is increasing and the U.S. Congress has passed legislation requiring the increased use of advanced biofuels, such as ethanol. The mandate requires all gasoline sold by 2015 will contain 10% ethanol and the blending ethanol into gasoline of at least 36 billion gallons per year of biofuels into U.S. gasoline supply by 2022, triple the current level. California’s new law will take effect in 2011, requiring a phased-in carbon emission reduction by 2020.
The increase in US demand is unlikely to be met by domestically produced corn-based ethanol. Therefore, the US should begin to prepare now for a shift away from its domestically produced corn-based ethanol and work to achieve market dominance in other types of ethanol. The way to do this is to work with Brazil to develop and control where possible the ethanol market.
Recommendation: The US and Brazil should form an OPEC-type group for ethanol producers, the Ethanol Producing and Exporting Countries Consortium (EPECC). EPECC will coordinate and unify the ethanol policies of its member countries. EPECC’s objectives will be to secure fair and stable prices for ethanol producers, efficient, economic and regular supply of ethanol to consuming nations, and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry. EPECC will improve and advance all three points in the 2007 MOU. While the current US domestic politics will prevent an elimination of the U.S. protection of its corn-based ethanol industry in the near term, over time, EPECC will help pave the way for new market opportunities for the U.S. which can help ease a transition from such subsidies and corn based ethanol. Eventually, EPECC can include any country in the western hemisphere - and eventually worldwide - interested in developing domestic ethanol industries.
For an extra credit assignment for my social work class we had to pick a topic and write a "letter to the editor" about it. Here is mine, the topic is FL SB 6. More information on the bill is here (you can also google FL SB 6 for tons of info).
Florida Senate Bill 6 has proven itself an emotional bill that brings out strong feelings, both for and against its passage. The bill would tie teacher pay to student performance. All over the state teachers have been protesting its passage and asking it be thrown out. The bill would require at least half of a teacher's salary to be tied to their students performance on the FCAT, AP testing, or some other form of testing (as yet to be determined).
The bill, as it is now, is almost impossible to understand. It establishes categories of teachers as "unsatisfactory," "needs improvement," "effective," and "highly effective" based on student "learning gains" without any explanation of what any of those words mean. They say that part will be decided later by the State Board of Education. It also says teachers could get additional pay for teaching in "high priority locations" or "critical teacher shortage areas" without explaining what either of those things mean. They say that part will be decided later by the State Board of Education, too. There is also no explanation of how exactly those "learning gains" will be determined. Are all students in the same age group competing against each other? Will special needs and gifted students be judged differently?
Another major issue with this bill is that it shys away from rewarding teachers with advanced degrees. Currently, in the state of Florida to teach you must have a bachelor's degree (in any subject) and pass a proficiency test in the subject you are teaching. You do not need a degree in education or the subject you are teaching. Why would any teacher both to further their education if there was no reward for doing so? This bill would also get rid of bonuses currently awarded to teachers for a National Board certification.
For some reason, politicians in Tallahassee seem to think pushing teachers even more towards "teaching to the test" is going to bring success. It's not. I was in 4th grade when FCAT began. By the time I was a junior in high school I'd passed every part of the test that needed passing. I could write a fantastic five paragraph essay. I was consistently scoring in the highest percentiles (sometimes better than 97% of students taking the test). I became a great guesser on multiple choice question (I must admit, that one still helps me out today). My junior year I was placed in Advanced Placement English (my highest test grades were always on the writing and reading sections of the test). When I walked into Mr. Shannon's class I learned one thing, I could not write an actual, high school or college level essay. Seven years after I had started taking FCAT tests, I was sitting in a classroom learning to write an essay. Luckily I had a great teacher at a great school (one of the best schools in one of the best counties in the state). I still don't feel that I write at the level I should but that is another story. What about the students who going to schools that are overcrowded and don't have teachers who can take the time to reteach high school juniors and seniors? What about students who don't take AP classes (and that is most students)? They get to college and have no idea what to do.
Last year, Florida ranked number 41 in per student spending. Maybe if we worked on increasing spending on education the legislators in Tallahassee wouldn't have to resort to such ridiculous ideas.
Brazil was one of the first countries to recover from the global economic meltdown and has consistently shown itself to be the strongest economy in Latin America. While the country is not without its faults and problems, a closer relationship with Brazil would be immensely beneficial to the United States. Besides the economic opportunities a close relationship would present, Brazil is also a regional leader in technology and bio fuels, and is a growing political force. We must use this period of growth in Brazil to cement ourselves as a strong regional partner to Brazil.
To cultivate our relationship with Brazil , we must encourage the United Nations Security Council permanent members to give it a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Our full support would be a huge advantage to make this happen. To encourage an increase in trade between the United States and Brazil, a trade agreement is necessary. The last important step in building and maintaining this relationship is encouraging trade, business, and other ties through diplomatic means.
While Brazil is currently member of the United Nations Security Council, this term ends in 2011. The United States must push for a permanent seat for Brazil on the UNSC. The lack of a permanent seat for any Latin American country (as well as the lack of African and Middle Eastern representation) leads to an unfair balance of power within the Security Council. Brazil's role as a regional leader, economically and politically, makes it the logical choice for the representative of Latin America.
The addition of a permanent seat for Brazil also adds a potential ally for the US. Both France and the United Kingdom have previously voiced support for a permanent seat on the UNSC for Brazil. They want the US support and, while our support will not guarantee the seat, it may help sway some countries unsure of the role that Brazil should play in the UN.
It is clear from recent actions that Brazil is very serious about becoming a major player on the world stage. Brazil is already working to assist farmers in sub Saharan Africa with agricultural issues and has also begun to invest money into the IMF. The Brazilian government has worked very hard to keep the HIV rate in the country low and has successfully worked to reduce drug prices by working to mass produce generic prescriptions. If we do not voice our support now, we may be left behind when they gain even more power and ability.
Obviously, we already have ties to Brazil diplomatically but we must be willing to increase these very publicly. Brazil sees itself as a growing superpower (rightfully so) and wants to be in the spotlight next to the major players on the world stage. By sending high level diplomats (perhaps the Vice President and/or Secretary of State) to Brazil to meet with their high level diplomats on various issues (trade, nonproliferation, energy, agriculture, etc) and inviting their diplomats to visit us, we can increase the visibility of the relationship. This will not only benefit the US and Brazil but will show other countries (i.e. Iran, China) that the US is supportive of Brazil and its policies.
Another idea for diplomatic engagement with Brazil is to form a commission of sorts with other countries (preferably in Latin America). Vice President Al Gore took part in these commissions during the Clinton Administration and Vice President Biden could follow a similar path. Gore worked with the South African Deputy President to strengthen the relationship between the two nations. Something similar could be set up either between the US and Brazil, or including other countries. As mentioned, issues addressed could include trade, nonproliferation, energy, agriculture, regional issues, drug trade, and many others.
Clearly there are many options for exactly how we can improve and strengthen our relationship with Brazil. The question is not whether or not these improvements are necessary but how they can be made. A stronger relationship with Brazil would benefit both the US and Brazil and can help improve the Western Hemisphere as a whole. Brazil is on the way to the top, both economically and politically, and we need to find a way to insure we are standing next to them the entire way up.
In exactly 1 week's time I will touring the State Department (then having a meeting with State Department officials). All because of one UNF class.
Ambassador Nancy Soderberg (formerly the third-highest-ranking official at the United States National Security Council under President Clinton and US Representative for Special Political Affairs at the US Mission to the United Nations) is a distinguished visiting professor UNF. I'm not sure exactly what that means for the school but I know what it means for me. The class I'm taking with Professor Soderberg is titled "Real World/Super Power Myth," a title I find very misleading. The class basically works like this, the first half of the semester we covered foreign policy topics all over the board (from Russia to North Korea, from terrorism to foreign aid, we read extensively on all topics). At about the half way point of the semester, the class choose a topic to take to DC with us. Our original list included nonproliferation, North Korea, Turkey, and cyber security, among other things. The criteria for choosing a subject was that it was a topic on which we wanted to advocate change in government policy and one that was a bit "off the radar." The goal was to get "ahead" of the government in our recommendations, present our ideas to the bigwigs in DC, and learn something while doing it.
The topic we choose was Brazil. I'm more than wiling to admit I knew little about Brazil before this class (lots of rain forests, lots of crime, lots of drugs, that was about it) and I still wouldn't consider myself an expert on the country but I have a learned a lot. A few of my favorite Brazil facts:
Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world (by land mass and by population).
About 12% of the fresh water in the world is in Brazil.
Brazil has the 2nd largest number of airports in the world (after the US).
Brazil has the largest population of Japanese descent outside of Japan.
Anyway, our recommendations range from increased cross training for police and peacekeeping forces to UN Security Council reform to strengthening economic ties. While we are on DC some of the people we are meeting with are: Department of Defense Deputy Secretary, William Lynn; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the
Western Hemisphere, Dr. Frank O. Mora; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics and Global Threats, William Wechsler (who was on the NSC with my professor) (all at the Pentagon); Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Arturo A. Valenzuela (who also spent some time on the NSC); Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations, Esther Brimmer (both at the State Department); Special Assistant to the President for Latin America, Dan Restrepo (at the White House); the staff of Sen. Nelson (Congress is out of session of course); someone at the CIA (not sure who yet); Deputy U.S. Permanent Representative at the Organization of American Sates, Lewis Amselem; and someone at the Brazilian embassy (we are also not sure yet who exactly this will be). We may also have a catch to meet Secretary Clinton and Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
All that having been said, I need to work on my assignment for class tomorrow! I plan to blog on the trip as I really want to have a record of the meetings we hold. The assignment due tomorrow for this class is the first draft on an op-ed we will be sending to the Florida Times Union about Brazil. When I finish this and feel good about it I plan to post it here as well.
Everyone who I speak about TOMS shoes asks how I first found out about the company. I have no idea. I honestly cannot remember where I first heard about TOMS but I know I wanted to get involved right away. TOMS employees a "one for one" model of giving. For every pair of shoes you buy from them (and I promise you, these are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned), they give a pair to a child in need. They have given shoes to children all over the globe, including Argentina, Ethiopia, South Africa, and the United States. TOMS started giving away shoes in May 2006 and, as of December 2009, they have given over 400,000 pairs of shoes to children in need.
A few facts about children and shoes worldwide (from the TOMS site):
Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk:
* A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause.
* Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.
* Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.
In the Fall of 2008, I was lucky enough to be the TOMS Campus Rep at UNF. My role was to plan and execute two on campus events to promote TOMS. I was also lucky enough to be a part of the "Shoe Drop" (the trips on which the shoes are given away) in Orlando. It was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend one of the TOMS Shoe Drops to anyone (you can apply to volunteer on their website).
All of this brings me to April 8th. TOMS is holding their 3rd annual "One Day Without Shoes" next Thursday. Unfortunately I will not be able to participate (I will be in meetings at the White House, State Department, etc and my professor would freak) but I wanted to use my first blog post to spread the word.
Please consider going barefoot and supporting this movement. Check out
http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/ or http://www.toms.com/ for more information!
Edited to add this video by my #1 girlcrush, Kristen Bell:
